Fate Of Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" North Shore Location Uncertain
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Toby Keith's song "I Love This Bar" begins with the lyrics, "We've got winners, we've got losers," which could be a description of his chain of restaurants, called "Toby Keith: I Love This Bar."
The country superstar will play the First Niagara Pavilion Saturday night, and his restaurant chain is going to miss the golden opportunity of having the singer open his newest location on Pittsburgh's North Shore.
As it sits right now, the hardwood floor is down, the rough wood paneling is up, the lights are hung, the oversized guitar ceiling piece is in place over the bar, and the bar and stations are in place.
The plan was to have the North Shore Drive location ready to go when Toby came to town, but construction has stopped and is reportedly in trouble.
The North Shore is not alone; the fact is the chains locations are dwindling not growing.
The Rancho Cucamonga location near San Bernardino, California, closed without warning just over a week ago, and the "TK I Love This Bar" in Cincinnati closed two days after the MLB All-Star Game in July and the employees' final checks bounced. They are now suing.
The location in Denver closed a few weeks ago, and the Chicago area location in Rosemont is facing an eviction trial next month.
Locations in Orlando and Phoenix that opened earlier this year have filled their last mason jar, nine other locations have been shuttered, and two contractors in San Antonio are suing over work done on a site that never opened.
On Pittsburgh's North Shore, "TK I Love This Bar" was expected to be the anchor tenant in a row of nightspots on North Shore Drive.
Continental Development has spent a lot of money building the space out to the restaurant chain's specifications.
CBRE VP Herky Pollock speaking for the ownership group says, "We are well aware of Toby Keith's issues around the country, have been in contact with them, and they are still committed to opening up their Pittsburgh unit."
But Pollock quickly added, "In the event they don't, we will pursue other alternatives for the space that is fully built out. We have been contacted already by several others who have expressed interest."
Continental has already spent a lot of money on the site and would like to see Toby Keith's group utilize it rather than have to deal with trying to get the money back.
The restaurant group has been given specific things Continental and the owners want to see done, and if the expectations are not met they will go looking for another tenant.
Pollock says they expect the issue to be resolved in the next two to three weeks.
The restaurant chain is operated by Boomtown Entertainment LLC in Phoenix. Repeated efforts to contact the corporate offices were unsuccessful.
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