--- title: "Tom's Watch Bar wants to be the Starbucks of gameday" url: https://burnaze.com/article/e2a94625-c083-4f84-83e4-976d0babddb5 source: "Restaurant Business" original_url: https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/toms-watch-bar-wants-be-starbucks-gameday author: "Joe Guszkowski" category: "Business Services" industry: "Business Services" topics: ["Marketing","Emerging brands"] published: 2026-11-13T18:56:53.000Z modified: 2026-11-14T00:03:15.721Z image: https://cdn.informaconnect.com/platform/files/public/2026-11/background/TWB%20Tailgates%201.png?VersionId=mg_tM3InNW55dONvkAQHrIDFjDSPI.3U --- # Tom's Watch Bar wants to be the Starbucks of gameday **TL;DR:** Tom's Watch Bar is hosting over 200 tailgates and pep rallies for NFL and college games this season, expanding its gameday entertainment concept. *By Joe Guszkowski, originally published in Restaurant Business on 2026-11-13. [Read the original](https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/toms-watch-bar-wants-be-starbucks-gameday).* ## Story Tom's Watch Bar is hosting more than 200 tailgates and pep rallies this football season. | Photo courtesy of Tom's Watch Bar On Monday in Minneapolis, Tom’s Watch Bar hosted a tailgate party ahead of that night’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. About 1,200 fans of both teams gathered for football fellowship along with food and drink provided by Tom’s, a DJ, and an appearance by Vikings great John Randle. It was the latest entry in Tom’s Football Tailgate series, a venture launched this year in partnership with Xperience Hospitality that will see Tom’s host more than 200 tailgates and pep rallies for NFL and college games over the 18-week season. The tailgates are designed to grow Tom’s business beyond its cavernous bars. In Minneapolis, the party took place in a lot about 1 mile away from Tom’s itself, and just a few blocks from U.S. Bank Stadium. “We did over $135,000,” said Tom's CEO Shannon McNiel, “on a Monday.” That included sales from both the tailgate and the bar — but mostly the tailgate, an all-inclusive ticketed event. Tailgates are one part of Tom’s plan to own the entire game day experience for sports fans, a mission that will see it broaden its profile from a sports-bar chain to a “sports-viewing and fan engagement company.” It’s a category that could potentially include other restaurant brands, entertainment venues, and emerging concepts like Cosm, whose gigantic, domed screens are designed to make viewers feel like they’re part of the action. However you define it, Tom’s wants to be the leader in the field. “When you think of going to get a cup of coffee, you think of Starbucks,” McNiel said. “Well, when you think of going to watch the big game, I want you to know and think about Tom's Watch Bar.” Fans watch the World Series outside of Tom's Watch Bar in Milwaukee. | Photo courtesy of Tom's Watch Bar Tom’s was founded in 2012 by Smashburger co-founder Tom Ryan and Rick Schaden, the former CEO of Quiznos. It started as Tom’s Urban, an upscale sports and entertainment concept, and rebranded as Tom’s Watch Bar in 2019, doubling down on immersive sports viewing. In 2022, Tom’s landed a $30 million investment to help it grow. With more than 100 TV screens in each venue creating a 360-degree viewing experience, Tom’s aims to give customers the next best thing to actually being at the game. It pairs that with an elevated food and drink menu and speedy service, with a goal of 10-minute turnaround times for food. Tom’s currently has 18 locations in 12 states and Washington, D.C. The Denver-based chain has had what McNiel called an “exceptional” year in 2026. June and July were the best months in the history of the brand, thanks to the World Cup, which attracted droves of fans to Tom’s locations around the country. Before the U.S. match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 3,000 Bosnians flooded the streets around the Tom’s in Inglewood, California, hoping to secure a spot inside. “They closed down Century Boulevard [because] the LA police would not even move them,” McNiel said. “They basically built barriers around them, so they were protected.” Systemwide sales are up, he said, both for the last quarter and the full year. Tom’s also worked on deepening its talent pool in 2026, adding assistant operating partners to its locations to support general managers and to learn the ropes so they can operate their own store someday. McNiel said Tom’s now has the best bench strength it’s had in 10 years. The company also streamlined its leadership structure, naming McNiel sole CEO last month after he’d shared the role with co-founder Brooks Schaden since 2024. Schaden will still be closely involved with Tom’s as CEO of SIF Partners, the investment firm that owns the brand. But McNiel said the shift to one CEO is a “natural next step.” “Me coming into the sole CEO position, it’s just, one voice, greater clarity, focus, and accountability,” he said. One thing Tom’s did not do this year was open new locations, a contrast from 2025, when it added six restaurants, an increase of more than 46%. It actually closed one location in 2026, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. McNiel said the slower pace was by design. It has allowed Tom’s to “absorb that growth” and strengthen existing locations before it prepares to open more. Part of that strengthening included developing new revenue streams, such as tailgates and other events beyond sports. In August, when Columbian singer Karol G performed three nights at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Tom’s held pre-concert parties in a lot behind the bar. Private events have also become a big business for Tom’s and now make up 10% to 15% of its sales. And for the World Cup, Tom’s rolled out another new revenue model: ticketed seating in its bars for big games. The chain worked with Sports Illustrated Tickets to sell ticket packages, which started at $40 per person, plus a $20 food and beverage credit. Ticketing is designed to give customers more control over their experience and help Tom’s better plan for and manage demand. It sold over 50,000 tickets during the World Cup and is now putting together plans for the Super Bowl and other upcoming events. “Consumers want to know that they have a great seat when they come to Tom's Watch Bar, and so we're really finding out that selling tickets has been really good for us,” McNiel said. After all that, McNiel believes Tom’s is ready to expand again. But it isn’t broadcasting big unit-growth numbers. “I'd rather open the right restaurant at the right time and have it perform exceptionally well than chase a unit count,” McNiel said. As always, it’s looking for places where sports fans are likely to gather: In and around stadiums, entertainment districts, convention centers, and casinos. It also sees a big opportunity in airports. And the World Cup helped introduce Tom’s to an international audience, sparking interest from overseas as well. “There's people calling us everyday,” McNiel said. But, he emphasized that growth for Tom’s is not just about building new units, but also growing the business within and outside of its four walls. “We've got a lot of momentum right now in this company,” he said, “so I'm really excited about the new year.” *Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.* ## Entities - Business Services (sector) - expansion (topic) - entertainment (topic) - game day (topic) --- Originally reported by Joe Guszkowski, Restaurant Business (https://restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/toms-watch-bar-wants-be-starbucks-gameday). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/e2a94625-c083-4f84-83e4-976d0babddb5).