Would you like a basketball with that, sir?<\/p>\n
By Sam Greenhill<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It was a small price to pay: one juicy hamburger
\nand a plate of crispy nachos.<\/p>\n
That was what Jakarta's newest restaurant paid Yayuk Basuki in
\nexchange for the Indonesian tennis queen's racket, a signed
\nportrait and her ringing endorsement.<\/p>\n
For Champions Sports Bar and Restaurant, which opened
\nyesterday, it was a rare bargain. The American family-style
\neatery paid over US$100,000 to secure its other pieces of sports
\nmemorabilia which, along with Basuki's contribution, cover the
\nwalls of the new diner.<\/p>\n
Champions arrives in Indonesia hot on the heels of Planet
\nHollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe and is home to nearly 300
\ntreasures of sporting history, ranging from a pair of Muhammad
\nAli's boxing shorts to Magic Johnson's Lakers 32 basketball vest,
\nboth of which are autographed.<\/p>\n
Signed photographs of all-time greats like Jimmy Connors and
\nJoe DiMaggio surround the 245-seat dining area. With soft
\nlighting and an unobtrusive color scheme of autumn red and forest
\ngreen, the ambiance is easy-going.<\/p>\n
But although Champions is aiming to attract families and
\n"young professionals" to its dining tables, there is plenty to do
\nbesides eating.<\/p>\n
A well-stocked, five-sided, island bar dominates the front
\nhalf of the restaurant and a smaller cocktail bar guards the
\nrear. Hovering above the island bar are four giant video screens,
\nbilled as the "most extensive video system in Jakarta" by
\nrestaurant manager Shayne Thomas, who claims he has checked out
\nthe ones at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe personally.<\/p>\n
Sports fans won't know which way to look. With the help of
\neight regular-sized TV sets positioned around the restaurant,
\nThomas says he can simultaneously tune in the system to every
\nsports channel available in Asia. And, once a hook-up to the
\nReuters news service is installed, the latest sports results will
\nflash up on electronic message boards above the bar the moment
\nthey come in.<\/p>\n
On big sports days, events will be played live over all 12
\nscreens and Thomas hopes to draw in the crowds to cheer for their
\nteams. Special promotions will be scheduled to coincide with
\nimportant events on the sporting calendar.<\/p>\n
Champions also boasts a small stage, where bands will play
\nlive in the evenings, but Thomas says sport will always take
\nprecedence over music. "If we're watching a game on the screens,
\nthe band won't be allowed to start until it's finished. That's
\nthe priority."<\/p>\n
This commitment will no doubt come as a relief to the
\nrestaurant's technician, who must live in constant fear of a
\npower blackout. The combination of TVs, music equipment, air
\nconditioners and air purifiers already blew the main fuse once,
\nprompting Thomas to request extra juice from the power company.<\/p>\n
Watching, of course, is no substitute for doing, and Champions
\nhas a billiards table near the island bar and will soon be taking
\nstock of an air-hockey game. The restaurant itself plans to be
\nactive in local sports and will soon be recruiting its own soccer
\nteam. In addition, Champions will be sponsoring local sports
\nteams, as well as making donations to various international
\nsports charities.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta branch, on Jl. Kemang Raya, is the 35th to open
\nsince Champions was established in Washington, D.C. 17 years ago,
\nand it is the first to open in Asia. With 200 parking spaces out
\nback, the restaurant is surely onto a winner in the densely
\npopulated Kemang area. It also has a VIP room with space for 14
\nguests which can be booked for special occasions.<\/p>\n
Like Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe, the food menu at
\nChampions is broadly American-Mexican, with a few international
\nfavorites thrown in. Appetizers include nachos (Rp 6,550) and
\nchicken wings (Rp 9,750), and main courses include burgers (Rp
\n11,500), mixed grill (Rp 24,000) and beef or chicken fajitas (Rp
\n15,550). An ice cream dessert costs Rp 6,550. The extensive
\ndrinks menu includes Bintang draught (Rp 8,500), Campari (Rp
\n12,000) and orange juice (Rp 8,500), and cocktails start at Rp
\n12,500. Add 17 percent tax and services to all these prices.<\/p>\n
The whole package was one big thumbs up for a group of
\nCanadians, already on their second visit to Champions. The
\nrestaurant is targeting the local expat community as strongly as
\nIndonesians, and expects the eventual mix to be even-balanced.
\nThe Canadians gave it their stamp of approval, the only
\nreservation being that the service "needs a bit of work, but its
\nearly days yet". Emma, aged three, had just one thing to say:
\n"Want more."<\/p>\n
As for Yayuk Basuki, who was invited to the press launch, she
\nsays she'll be back, but was coy when asked whether the mouth-
\nwatering Champions' menu posed a threat to her peak physical
\nfitness.<\/p>\n
"I think it's OK to enjoy yourself once in a while," she said,
\nobviously convinced.<\/p>\n
Champions is keen to acquire memorabilia from other Indonesian
\nsports heroes and even has plans for sporting figures to buy
\nshares in its operation.<\/p>\n
But even in the restaurant that seems to offer everything,
\nlife is never perfect. When manager Shayne Thomas, of all people,
\ntried to order some food, he twice failed to flag down a waiter.
\nFinally, to his relief, a waitress heard his cries and brought
\nover the menu. A little ruffled, he muttered: "It must be quite
\nloud in this area."<\/p>",
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