Game On sports bar opens in time for FA Cup Final
A new sports bar is to open on Saturday in Hamilton. Game On Sports Bar and Grill, on Bermudiana Road, is owned by businessmen Brian Bennett and Alex Marshall.
The venue will feature 35 big-screen televisions showing a variety of sports, which can be tailored to accommodate a patron’s request.
An app can be downloaded with an audio link to match the game being watched.
Game On has a Buffalo Wild Wings-inspired menu of pub grub, and features a foosball table, shuffleboard, cornhole, an oversized dart board, and a variety of arcade games.
Mr Marshall said: “We are doing something very different than what Bermuda has already. It will be more of an American-style sports bar and grill.
“There is a gap in the marketplace for getting good food late at night, too. No one has games like us, either.
“Game On will have good food, good beer, a good atmosphere, and be good fun.”
The two-floor venue will accommodate 60 patrons indoors, with another 20 chairs on an outdoor patio.
Game On will initially serve lunch and dinner, and will eventually open for breakfast, the co-owners said.
There are plans to feature a DJ late at night on weekends. The co-owners expect the business to employ “12 to 14” staff when it is in full swing.
Following Saturday’s soft opening, Mr Marshall and Mr Bennett will take care of managing duties until a full-time manager is appointed.
Mr Marshall said the target market is “locals, but tourists as well – anyone who likes sports and a good time, and most everyone likes sports.
“I think it’s going to be a great addition to Bermuda’s entertainment options.”
The launch of Game On coincides with Saturday’s FA Cup Final, which pits Manchester United against cup-holders and Premier League champions Manchester City.
Game On is to provide an on-island “home” for supporters of United.
Mr Bennett often watched the club’s matches with his late grandfather Frank “Briggy” Baron, a fan since the 1950s.
He inherited Mr Baron’s collection of United memorabilia, which will be on display at Game On in an area of the bar that Mr Bennett has named “Briggy’s Corner”.
Items include framed jerseys, scarves, and flags. The club’s in-house television station, MUTV, will play in that area when a United match is not being broadcast.
Mr Bennett said: “We have done a little homage to him, and we are showing off his memorabilia to Manchester United fans. We want to make sure that Manchester United supporters have a home and that they’re always welcome.”
Mr Marshall added: “Fans of other teams are welcome at any time, in any sport, but Saturday is a ‘red day’.”
Game On, which will open seven days a week, launches at 10am on Saturday in advance of the match’s 11am kick-off.