ESPN Zone closes doors in Denver - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The ESPN Zone, part of a nationwide chain of what used to be nine ofthe sports-themecd bar and interactive game centers across the laid off roughly 100 giving each a 60-day administrative leavw package, according to a company Rick Allesandri, an ESPN vice presidentr who oversees Zone operations, said in the statementr that the restaurant could not survive the recession. This economic downturh has been marked nationally by reducer consumer spending on eating out and onentertainmenrt activities. “A decision like this is nevee easy. We recognize and appreciate the commitmentg and years of servics of all of these Allesandri said.
“Unfortunately, the currenft economic environment offered us noother choice.” The ESPN Zone was a 23,000-square-foort meeting place for sports fanatics, with one room featurin g more than a dozen large television s tuned into contests of all kind and anothedr full of video and sports games ranginhg from basketball to bowling. None of the eightg other ESPN Zone locatione willbe closed, as all “are meetingb our expectations,” said Matt Kovacs, a spokesmen for the , which owns the Tabor Center, issued a statemeng saying it was “sorry to hear of their decisiojn to discontinue their Denver operations.
” But the closing of ESPN Zone “has created a new opportunity for us to bring new conceptzs to 16th Street,” it said. One of thoswe new concepts is The Tilted a Celtic-themed restaurant and sports bar with 20 locationas operating nationwide and another 10 The chain, which is expectexd to open its Denved location this fall and to offed outdoor patio seating, has signed an 8,300-square-foot lease at Tabof Center, according to a news release. The Tilte Kilt began in Las Vegas in 2003 and is notee for its servers dressedin knee-high socks, short plaid kilts and midriff-baring plaid halterd tops. It will be one of a numbeer of new tenants opening in the Tabofr Centerthis year.
“These new additions to Tabor Center’s retail offering reflect our continuinv efforts to enhance the servicee and amenities forthe tenants, customers and visitors to the Tabor Center,” said Steve Budorick, executive vice presidentf and partner at Callahan Capital