Guy Fieri's Flavortown Sports Kitchen

Description

Horseshoe Casino (formerly Ballys) has announced that Guy Fieri's Flavortown Sports Kitchen will open a 279 seat sports bar. They claim to be "going big" by opening a big restaurant featuring Fieri's ghost kitchen menu?

Some background on Fieri's Flavortown Kitchen. Planet Hollywood's Robert Earl owns Bucca Di Beppo, Bertucci's, Brio and Bravo (among others); multiple low end Italian restaurant chains in the mold of Olive Garden and Carrabba's. During the pandemic, delivery was king and restaurants were either closed or had limited seating; Fieri partnered with Earl and "Flavortown Kitchen" was launched to operate out of the kitchens in these restaurants under the Guy Fieri name. This "brand" offered more appealing marketing for take out than the restaurant's regular take-out menu.

These "ghost kitchens" have become increasingly popular; basically they're alternative menus under a different brand; an opportunity for a bad restaurant to re-brand with any concept they think will sell. A place like Bertucci's with their sad Italian menu (the one in Melville NY was particularly awful). can hammer out mac and cheese and cheeseburgers without upsetting their main brand.

These ghost restaurants seem to offer reasonable prices, but they get you with fees and extras:

There's no charge for utensils or napkins, but you won't get any unless you ask for them.

Flavortown Kitchen restaurants partnered with Ceasar's sports books have opened in Washington DC and at Chase Field in Phoenix to less than stellar reviews. Frankly I find both restaurants physically unimpressive.

Is it really worthwhile pushing this limited menu with such thrilling items as jalapeno poppers and mac and cheese burgers? Are they trying to attract high rollers or college students? Is it really that hard to create your own menu with burgers and wings for a sports bar?

Given the low ratings across the country on this idea; i have to wonder why a casino that is rebranding is installing such a pedestrian concept just because a well-known celebrity is backing it.

The restaurant design may matter more than the food; we'll see what they come up with.