Jerry Remy gets ball rolling on Fenway sports bar

28th October 2009

By Thomas Grillo, Wednesday, October 28, 2009

 

Construction is finally under way at Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill in the shadow of Fenway Park.

Remy, the color analyst for New England Sports Network who has been recovering from lung cancer surgery, had planned a grand opening for the start of the 2009 season. But the steakhouse’s launch stalled because financing has been scarce.

John O’Rourke, president of LTS Sports and Remy’s business partner, said he was able to convince Jon Cronin, owner of Atlantic Beer Garden at the Seaport and the Boston Beer Garden in South Boston, to invest in the $3.7 million venture.“Once we secured Jon as the biggest investor, other investors followed,” he said. “We’re very excited. We expect to open on March 1 in time for Opening Day.”

Upon completion, the former WBCN headquarters at 1265 Boylston St. will feature a full-service restaurant and bar with 330 seats, 50 of them outdoors. The brick exterior will be retained with glass windows and doors that look out onto outdoor seating.

The eatery will mix burgers and pizza with upscale fare such as steak and lobster. If all goes well, Jerry Remy Sports Bars could become a New England chain.

The Boston Red Sox purchased the property in 2005 for $3.3 million and rent the 8,400-square-foot space to Remy for an undisclosed amount.

Jean M. Lorizio, executive secretary of the Boston Licensing Board, said Remy purchased an alcohol license from the defunct Italian American Restaurant in South Boston for $165,000.

Charles Perkins of the Boston Restaurant Group, a restaurant broker, said Remy’s restaurant should attract fans during baseball season. But he wondered if people would be willing to fight the traffic in the off-season for a burger.

“It’s a good location in an area that is coming into its own,” he said. “I’d bet on Boylston Street rather than the Seaport, but do I think it will be a home run? I don’t know.”

Read this story at the BostonHeald.com