Jerry Remy's Restaurants Big Hits In Bad Economy

BOSTON (CBS) - At first glance, one of most noticeable features of Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grill is the wall-to-wall plasma TV screens.

They're so large, the eatery has dubbed them "screen monsters" after Fenway Park¹s Green Monster.

The menu (naturally) features the Remy Burger, the cocktail Remy's Rain Delay and for dessert, Evil Empire Cheesecake.

Jerry Remy, who says he dines at his namesake sports bar once every homestand, has yet to try the Remy Burger. But the Red Sox TV analyst is partial to the pork chops and steak tips.

"For me, it's been kind of fun. I'm surrounded by people who know what they're doing and I'm trying to learn as much as possible," said Remy, who is an equal partner in the restaurant.

The veteran broadcaster and former Red Sox second baseman is one of three partners running Remy's, along with managing partner and restaurateur John Mascia and John O'Rourke, a childhood friend of Remy's.

Since the restaurant group opened its first location at Logan Airport in September 2008, it has expanded to locations on Boylston Street, near Fenway Park last year and another in the Seaport District, which opened in March of this year.

Later this year, Remy's will break ground on its fourth location in the Rem-dog's hometown of Fall River.

In the next 12-to-24 months Remy's expects to open as many as four new restaurants.

The next locations will likely be in Chelmsford, Burlington and Waltham.

The partners are on the cusp of a seed financing deal with a group of investors who will provide equity for the expansion.

Revenue this year is expected to be between $5 million and $6 million.

Remy's fast expansion is notable given the economy, but also in light of the fact that other recent restaurant openings associated with big-name Boston sports stars have not been as successful.

Beloved Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz's first foray into the restaurant business, Big Papi's Grille on Route 9 in Framingham, closed in June.

There are plans, however, to reopen in Boston at some point in the future, according to Bill Goodwin, vice president of Classic Restaurant Concepts.

Former Boston Celtics star Jo Jo White opened Jo Jo's West in Maynard in 2009, but it closed last year due to money woes, according to media reports.

"He's well-financed, he has good locations and good management. That's why he's smoking," said Charlie Perkins, president of the restaurant consulting firm The Boston Restaurant Group.

Perkins also said Remy's has benefited from the recent slew of restaurant openings on Boylston Street behind Fenway Park, including Tasty Burger, sushi restaurant Basho and the Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar.

Mascia came up with the restaurant's concept while working for the airport concession firm Tastes on the Fly several years ago.

Mascia's inspiration for the sports bar was the Jerry Remy hot-dog stand at Fenway Park.

Mascia eventually bought out his partners on that deal and began to develop the brand as a stand-alone concept.

He attributes the restaurant's success to excellent food and service, as well as its booming AV system.

"We execute quality, consistently. I know that sounds like a canned answer... but part of that is that the food is always good, the service is good and we have the best AV system in the city," said Mascia, who considers Boston's wide array of pubs, sports bars and other casual dining venues to be the competition.

Having Jerry Remy's name attached to the restaurant is also an "amazing springboard," said Mascia.

Traffic has been strong at the Boylston Street location, where there are 550 seats, and a roof deck under construction.

On Marathon Monday this year, for instance, the restaurant opened at 8 a.m. and sales that day were upwards of $60,000. The average check at Remy's is around $25.

Lisa van der Pool of the Boston Business Journal reports

The restaurant has been so popular that it sells "season tickets" for $500 apiece.

Members can bypass lines during home games, reserve tables and get a $25 food discount for each visit. The restaurant has sold a "couple hundred" this year.

Attracting business during baseball's off season hasn't been a problem, given how successful the Bruins, Celtics and Patriots have been in recent years.

"I thought the roof was going to come down," during the final Bruins Stanley Cup game, said Mascia, who hopes to continue the chain's expansion, even to areas in New Hampshire and Connecticut.