Would you like a basketball with that, sir?
Would you like a basketball with that, sir?
By Sam Greenhill
JAKARTA (JP): It was a small price to pay: one juicy hamburger and a plate of crispy nachos.
That was what Jakarta's newest restaurant paid Yayuk Basuki in exchange for the Indonesian tennis queen's racket, a signed portrait and her ringing endorsement.
For Champions Sports Bar and Restaurant, which opened yesterday, it was a rare bargain. The American family-style eatery paid over US$100,000 to secure its other pieces of sports memorabilia which, along with Basuki's contribution, cover the walls of the new diner.
Champions arrives in Indonesia hot on the heels of Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe and is home to nearly 300 treasures of sporting history, ranging from a pair of Muhammad Ali's boxing shorts to Magic Johnson's Lakers 32 basketball vest, both of which are autographed.
Signed photographs of all-time greats like Jimmy Connors and Joe DiMaggio surround the 245-seat dining area. With soft lighting and an unobtrusive color scheme of autumn red and forest green, the ambiance is easy-going.
But although Champions is aiming to attract families and "young professionals" to its dining tables, there is plenty to do besides eating.
A well-stocked, five-sided, island bar dominates the front half of the restaurant and a smaller cocktail bar guards the rear. Hovering above the island bar are four giant video screens, billed as the "most extensive video system in Jakarta" by restaurant manager Shayne Thomas, who claims he has checked out the ones at Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe personally.
Sports fans won't know which way to look. With the help of eight regular-sized TV sets positioned around the restaurant, Thomas says he can simultaneously tune in the system to every sports channel available in Asia. And, once a hook-up to the Reuters news service is installed, the latest sports results will flash up on electronic message boards above the bar the moment they come in.
On big sports days, events will be played live over all 12 screens and Thomas hopes to draw in the crowds to cheer for their teams. Special promotions will be scheduled to coincide with important events on the sporting calendar.
Champions also boasts a small stage, where bands will play live in the evenings, but Thomas says sport will always take precedence over music. "If we're watching a game on the screens, the band won't be allowed to start until it's finished. That's the priority."
This commitment will no doubt come as a relief to the restaurant's technician, who must live in constant fear of a power blackout. The combination of TVs, music equipment, air conditioners and air purifiers already blew the main fuse once, prompting Thomas to request extra juice from the power company.
Watching, of course, is no substitute for doing, and Champions has a billiards table near the island bar and will soon be taking stock of an air-hockey game. The restaurant itself plans to be active in local sports and will soon be recruiting its own soccer team. In addition, Champions will be sponsoring local sports teams, as well as making donations to various international sports charities.
The Jakarta branch, on Jl. Kemang Raya, is the 35th to open since Champions was established in Washington, D.C. 17 years ago, and it is the first to open in Asia. With 200 parking spaces out back, the restaurant is surely onto a winner in the densely populated Kemang area. It also has a VIP room with space for 14 guests which can be booked for special occasions.
Like Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe, the food menu at Champions is broadly American-Mexican, with a few international favorites thrown in. Appetizers include nachos (Rp 6,550) and chicken wings (Rp 9,750), and main courses include burgers (Rp 11,500), mixed grill (Rp 24,000) and beef or chicken fajitas (Rp 15,550). An ice cream dessert costs Rp 6,550. The extensive drinks menu includes Bintang draught (Rp 8,500), Campari (Rp 12,000) and orange juice (Rp 8,500), and cocktails start at Rp 12,500. Add 17 percent tax and services to all these prices.
The whole package was one big thumbs up for a group of Canadians, already on their second visit to Champions. The restaurant is targeting the local expat community as strongly as Indonesians, and expects the eventual mix to be even-balanced. The Canadians gave it their stamp of approval, the only reservation being that the service "needs a bit of work, but its early days yet". Emma, aged three, had just one thing to say: "Want more."
As for Yayuk Basuki, who was invited to the press launch, she says she'll be back, but was coy when asked whether the mouth- watering Champions' menu posed a threat to her peak physical fitness.
"I think it's OK to enjoy yourself once in a while," she said, obviously convinced.
Champions is keen to acquire memorabilia from other Indonesian sports heroes and even has plans for sporting figures to buy shares in its operation.
But even in the restaurant that seems to offer everything, life is never perfect. When manager Shayne Thomas, of all people, tried to order some food, he twice failed to flag down a waiter. Finally, to his relief, a waitress heard his cries and brought over the menu. A little ruffled, he muttered: "It must be quite loud in this area."