Tom’s Watch Bar has hundreds of TV screens for ideal sports viewing. / Photo courtesy of Tom’s Watch Bar
Tom’s Watch Bar has raised $30 million to open more than it calls “super sports bars”—large establishments dotted with hundreds of TVs showing all kinds of sporting events.
The funding comes from Sea Credit Partners and will help the Denver-based chain as it looks to more than quadruple its footprint over the next few years.
Tom’s currently has five locations of which eight are under construction. It is in the process of negotiating 10 more units for 2023 and 2024.
The brand has its roots in Toms Urban, a sports bar concept co-founded in 2014 by Tom Ryan, co-founder of Smashburger and former McDonald’s US CMO. Toms Watch Bar debuted in 2019, boasting a different menu and what was said was the biggest TV screen in downtown Los Angeles. All of Tom’s Urban locations are apparently now rebranded as Watch Bars.
“Tom’s Watch Bar is excited about the opportunity to partner with Sea Credit Partners for the continued development of our innovative sports bar concept, which aims to make every seat the best seat in the house,” Ryan said in a statement.
In addition to the 360-degree of TV screen, Tom’s offers a wide variety of beers served in 40-ounce, two-handed steins as well as pub fare with a contemporary touch.
Current locations are in Denver, Los Angeles, Washington, Las Vegas and Connecticut, with the Minneapolis unit expected to open in October.
The investment is the latest to hit the eatery sector coming out of the pandemic, with chains like Topgolf, Puttshack and other experiential concepts benefiting from a return to in-person gatherings.
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