Everyone needs a place to kick back, relax and unwind – such as your local bar. But that is the last thing Angelo Park, founder and CEO of Knockout Sports Bar, has been doing. “We are very excited to announce reaching 10 units in the first quarter of the new year, which is a milestone for the franchise concept,” he said. By Heidi Lubrani
Everyone needs a place to kick back, relax and unwind – such as your local bar. But that is the last thing Angelo Park, founder and CEO of Knockout Sports Bar, has been doing. “We are very excited to announce reaching 10 units in the first quarter of the new year, which is a milestone for the franchise concept,” he said.
Knockout Sports Bar follows the philosophy that everyone is a fighter in the fight of their lives every day, so the brand’s second achievement brings the action straight to the center ring in Arlington, Texas. “By the second quarter, we will have completed the second phase of development of our Knockout Sports Arena. Apart from the Knockout Sports Bar, the arena concept is where we actually feature live boxing and mixed martial arts fights right inside our building. This exciting experience is surrounded by knockout bars, featuring the beautiful knockout bartenders and servers,” Park said.
The new arena, also known as KOSA, is strategically placed to maximize the brand’s reach in the heart of the Lone Star State. “The arena is being built from the ground up right in the Arlington Entertainment District, which is home to AT&T Stadium and the Dallas Cowboys, Choctaw Stadium and the Texas Rangers, as well as Six Flags Over Texas. We could not be in a better place than Arlington for our cause. Everybody goes there for entertainment,” Park said.
About the company’s goals for growth and development, he added: “We would love to grow outside of the Dallas-Forth Worth market in the second half of the new year, toward Houston, Austin and San Antonio.”
Park said he believes now is an opportune time for potential franchisees to jump into the ring with a fully developed business model. “We are so intimately involved with our franchisees at this point. You are not working with fresh, out-of-college executives or directors when you choose to invest your life savings or precious private equities. You are actually dealing with the founders of the company. We are all here together to support the next round of franchisees. They will share the same benefits we have, without any added expenses, margins or premiums,” said Park.
It’s this hands-on business strategy that sets the brand apart from its competition. “When my franchisees join us, they are really getting the benefit of the owner working the deal directly. At the end of the day, our franchisees are happy because we are haggling every day, and that’s a huge thing for them,” concluded Park.
For him, professional relationship-building has been the key to fighting inflation, while still delivering the best products for his business owners and customers. Park makes sure to negotiate during construction and outfitting. “We work hard at keeping the costs down when it comes to building our sports bars. We go above and beyond to get the prices where they have to be. We are fighting back inflation tooth and nail,” Park said.
This networking strategy is not limited to startup costs but also continues with the brand’s consumables. “We have the most amazing, healthiest wings in the country, but the price of wings is through the roof, so we go straight to the producers to make the best deals,” said Park. “When our suppliers taste our wings, they see a future with us because they believe in us.”
Heidi Lubrani
Contact: kosportsbar.com