Sports bar opens downtown

Sports bar opens downtown

Photo via fb.com

A sports bar with 84 television screens has opened in downtown Grand Rapids.

Big E’s Sports Grill — a restaurant chain owned by Hudsonville-based Suburban Inns — held a grand opening this month for its new location inside Michigan’s first Embassy Suites by Hilton, at 710 Monroe Ave. NW.

The 8,839-square-foot restaurant has seating for 166 customers on the inside and an additional 50 guests on the patio.

Big E’s says on its website it serves food with “only fresh and local ingredients.”

Its menu features various items: appetizers such as chicken wings, chips con queso, loaded tots, pickle fries and pretzel sticks with Founders mustard; entrees such as three-cheese bacon mac and cheese, fajitas, steak and grilled salmon; soups; salads; burgers; and sandwiches.

Big E’s Sports Grill also offers catering.

Peter Beukema, CEO of Suburban Inns, says in a Facebook video that his company sees the downtown Big E’s as “the next step in the evolution of the brand, both from a brand positioning standpoint and exposure.”

“Being inside the Embassy Suites in downtown Grand Rapids brings a lot of attention to the brand,” Beukema says.

Brian Behler, general manager of the Embassy Suites by Hilton that houses the sports bar, said the family-friendly restaurant is perfect for “foodies, beer snobs and sports fans.”

Sarah Ludtke is the general manager of Big E’s downtown.

Its hours are from 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday.

Happy hour runs from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 p.m. to close daily.