This week M&C spends five minutes with Scott Murray, founder of Bar Sport, on why the attitude of the police towards licensed premises is a challenge, why Budweiser has got the right idea and what happened when a real life Goodfella met Richard & Judy.
What’s your main business priority for the coming 12 months?
To get some directly managed Bar Sport sites off the ground and to build on the success of our franchised model. We are also about to launch our Burger Priest concept and I’m very excited about the potential for that over the next year.
What is the best marketing campaign you have seen this year?
I think Budweiser’s Bud & Burgers is a great one. They have done some great ones over the years and they always back it up with promotional material in the bars.
Where did you have your best meal this year?
In the UK it would have to be Martin Wishart at Cameron House, I was absolutely blown away by it. Although I also visited one of the Galvin places the other week and was very impressed. If you’re talking globally, it would be a little place in Toronto called Sotto, Sotto. It’s a tiny family restaurant but the food is out of this world.
What is your main concern for the sector?
It would have to be around the attitude of the police in pressing the licensed trade more and more. It seems like we are the scapegoat for a lot of stuff that is beyond our control because the police need to hit their targets.
Which other business (any sector) would you most like to run and why?
I love my job but if I was to be in any other sector I suppose it would be showbusiness. I’ve always enjoyed putting on the shows at Bar Sport. We have had everyone from Sugar Ray Leonard to Carl Froch over.
One of the most memorable was when we got the real Henry Hill – the inspiration for Ray Liotta’s character in Goodfella’s. We took him to appear on Richard & Judy and unfortunately they hadn’t got the message that he was a recovering alcoholic and left some booze in his room. He ended up a little bit worse for wear and a little too interested in Judy Finnigan when they went on air.
