Judging from the popularity of sports in America today, a sports themed family Restaurant would seem to be a popular concept for franchising. But, as with most businesses start-ups today, it isn't that simple. The research and planning done by Indigo Joe's Sports Pub and Restaurant is a good example of the type of hard work and dedication required just to get to the stage where a company can begin to reap the benefits of a dream.

Troy Taylor, CEO of Neighborhood Sports Pub Concepts, Inc., the franchisor of Indigo Joe's Sports Pub and Restaurant, came from a highly successful Franchise development business that took him all over the world in the 1990's. Together with partners Chuck Darrow and Dana Nicolai, they dreamed of building a sports themed restaurant concept that transcended the traditional barriers of the industry.

But the trio's research had unearthed an important fact. Two pre-conceived notions were standing in the way of their dream. To succeed, they would have to overcome these barriers, position their franchise model as a unique concept, and create an untapped niche within the industry itself.

They already knew watching professional sports was one of the most popular traditions in America and around the world. They also knew sports is one of the most popular and recession proof industries around.

But research showed that women and children wouldn't go near what had traditionally been a smoky bastion of maleness; sports bar-and-grills. And while most concepts of this nature could easily fill the seats on busy football weekends in the fall, other times of the year these establishments simply survived, limping along, unable to make it as a traditional restaurant until the next big game. When the sports ended, the crowds -and the revenue- left as well.

A rabid sports fan, Taylor had traveled the world seeking out sports themed establishments and making notes. He would make the rounds, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each city's sports viewing venues before returning to his home in Orange County, California. There he would share his findings with Darrow, owner/operator of Player's Sports Grill, an already successful sports establishment in Laguna Nigel, CA. By this time, Darrow was already test marketing a menu that would eventually become an integral part of the Indigo Joe's concept.

"We knew that to succeed we would have to position ourselves as a family oriented restaurant that just happens to specialize in sports," says Taylor. In their quest to offer something for everyone, they developed family friendly prices, signature salads, quality certified Angus beef, and an enclosed soundproof video game room for the kids. They dug hard to discover customers wanted immaculate restrooms and a well-lighted interior. And while plastic seating may be the norm for quick turn Fast Food establishments, the Indigo Joe's team discovered their target customers wanted comfortable seating. So Taylor and Darrow took their own design to a manufacturer in Florida. "We wanted our customers to feel as they could comfortably stay all day long if they wanted," says Darrow. Indeed, Indigo Joe's does not have the look of a traditional sports pub.

But not forgetting their core customer would first and foremost come looking for an enjoyable sports viewing venue, the team packed Indigo Joe's with state of the art, hi-tech equipment. "People come here expecting to watch several games at one time," says Nicolai, "We wanted every customer to have the best seat in the house." That meant placing plasma, high definition, and large screen televisions throughout the restaurant, with wireless speaker boxes for every table. And while the average customer probably wouldn't notice the placement of sports memorabilia, it, too, was researched well in advance. Team banners and logos are grouped by conference and region so customers feel as if they're right in the middle of the action they came to see.

The Indigo Joe's team first saw their dream begin to take shape when they opened their first location in Encinitas, CA. They oversaw the retrofitting of a failed Sizzler restaurant unit and carefully constructed their flagship location. There really wasn't any honeymoon break-in period for the restaurant. It got off to a tremendous start and hasn't slowed since. On any given weekend, Indigo Joe's is near standing room only, with customers often sharing a table along with their team loyalties.

The total time spent researching, developing, implementing, and testing the Indigo Joe's concept? Seven and a half years from the team's decision to move forward. But Indigo Joe's is proving that time spent on the initial stages pays off. According to Taylor, a second franchise is being granted in the Phoenix, Arizona area, with plans to develop the Las Vegas market. Now that the Indigo Joe's concept has been road-tested, the management team is planning to slowly and carefully fan out regionally, throughout the southwest, rather than mushroom out in a national blitz. "We want quality franchisees dedicated to the owner/operator concept," says Taylor, "We know they'll succeed if they just follow the plan."

Franchise News Release: Encinitas, CA - (Oct-3-2003)