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Sports restaurant opening Aug. 1

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Also by Alex Brousseau:

Snow clearing may improve (December 7, 2007)
Sports restaurant opening Aug. 1 (December 5, 2007)
Fire highlights safety needs (November 30, 2007)
Picking up the pieces (November 16, 2007)
City: Watch out where you park (November 14, 2007)

by Alex Brousseau

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Madison City Council unanimously approved a license for the new campus-area restaurant Field Pass Tuesday night.

The father-son ownership team of Field Pass, opening Aug. 1, 2008, invested millions of dollars to try to ensure its success and according to co-owner Matt Brink, the two-story restaurant "is going to be very different."

Located on West Johnson Street, the restaurant will include color-changing LED lights, seven pool tables, four dartboards, 30 to 35 televisions, several private rooms, a dance floor and a music stage hosting live bands every week, ranging from rock to jazz.

"We’ll have a lot of live music during the dinner hour to create a mood," Brink said. "A vast majority of the restaurants around the area don't have live venues, which adds a lot to the mood of the restaurant. Given all the music we book at our current establishment, The Brink Lounge, we know all the artists in town. We’re very confident we can get a good mix of the live music."

Field Pass also hopes to cater to Madison sporting by accommodating Badger, Packer and all sports fans alike. They expect to be especially busy with games at the Kohl Center. However, Brink said Field Pass will not be a typical sports bar.

"Our menu is what we are taking the most time in designing and implementing and is what will set us apart from the sports bar genre," Brink said.

Field Pass' menu will have 65 items ranging from pizza, steaks, pasta, appetizers and more.

"The thing reads like a novel and matches the size of the establishment," said Ald. Eli Judge, District 8.

There was some opposition at the City Council meeting from the Alcohol Issues Committee, which had concerns about drinking and the overall safety of the area. They were also worried that Field Pass would become more of a bar than a restaurant, catering to underage University of Wisconsin students.

However, their concerns were placated by multiple city council members who supported the restaurant, including City Council President Mike Verveer, District 4.

"Because this is a restaurant, those under the age of 21 can legally partake in this establishment," Verveer said. "The Brinks have promised to have live entertainment at least one night a week, if not more. This will not just be a bar with plasmas everywhere. There will be music and a dance floor that underage people will be able to participate in legally and freely. This is going to be a fine addition to the downtown landscape."

The council not only commended the menu and building plans, but also the effort of the Brinks to cooperate with the university and city of Madison.

"The Brinks have worked with everyone under the sun, creating an agreement with everyone," Judge said. "Not only is the student population, but the city at large is, going to love it."

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