Yankees News: Derek Jeter pitches Tampa airport “sports lounge”

Derek Jeter has been busy since retiring from the New York Yankees, and now he is attempting to add professional restaurateur to that résumé.  The former Yankees captain signed on with Concessions Tampa to open a sports-themed restaurant at Tampa International Airport.

The 3,400 plus square foot space will be called The Players’ Tribune Bar & Grill, which is a spin-off on Jeter’s media platform The Players Tribune.  The proposal for the concept stated “come beyond the velvet rope to enjoy the VIP atmosphere” and added that it is “not a sports bar” but instead a “sports lounge”.

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The menu will be quite “upscale”, but also have typical bar foods such as buffalo wings.  It will also contain fancier foods such as “Braised Porchetta” and “Roasted Pear Salad”.  What will likely be one of the more popular items will be the house signature “Jeter Burger”, although for now we have no information on what Jeter puts on his burger.

The restaurant’s promo package included pictures of a variety of athletes, including Russell Wilson, Danica Patrick, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce, and Tyson Chandler, most of whom have contributed to the stars website.

In order to provide an athlete-focused experience, there will be iPads available at almost every table in order for diners to check out Jeter’s athlete-based website while they eat.  Tampa area sports team will be emphasized over the Yankees on the high-definition televisions.

While Jeter’s plan is solid, he will face competition from other restaurant projects who are bidding for the same space, including The Bucs Bar and Grill (which is Tampa Bay Buccaneer-themed), The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, Bonefish Grill, and Chili’s among other restaurants.

The Tampa International Airport concessions committee will evaluate each proposal and reveal the winner in mid-April.

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