The first ESPN Zone restaurant and entertainment
complex officially opened to the public on Sunday in
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. An invitation-only private gala
was held Saturday. About 25,000 were expected to attend
Sunday's outdoor festival, which included an evening parade
and fireworks (Douglas Birch, Baltimore SUN, 7/12).
WILL IT REACH THE PROFIT ZONE? In DC, Judith Evans
wrote that ESPN Zone, which she described as "SportsCenter
meets the Lion King," is "merely the latest sports-themed
restaurant to enter a crowded field of players who are using
sports with hopes of holding the attention of fans for
longer than one visit." Amenities in the 35,000-square-foot
restaurant and "interactive playground" include a 10,000-
square-foot game arcade. ESPN Zone Dir of Marketing & Sales
Scott Dickey: "We want our consumers to be able to
experience our brand on a more regular basis." As the
segment "gets hotter, companies may find picking the right
location carries a hefty price tag." Disney "won't say" how
much it has invested to build the ESPN Zone, but one analyst
put the price tag at $20M (WASHINGTON POST, 7/11).
