Brasileiro Side Gremio Launches Fast Food Chain; First Franchise To Open In April

Brasileiro side Gremio is going to open its "own chain of fast food restaurants in a bid to diversify and bring in cash to sign new players," according to Andrew Downie of REUTERS. The Porto Alegre side, club world champions in '83, hopes to "sell as many as 90 franchises at between $80,000 and $270,000 over the next five years." The first is due to open in April. Gremio Marketing Manager Beto Carvalho said, "In a country where 37 percent of spending is on food eaten outside the home, we needed a new product that would help us with the fact we have the most fanatical fans in Brazil." Fans "voted in an online poll to call the restaurants Hamburgueria 1903 in reference to the year the club was founded." The decor will be in the club's colors of blue, black and white. Sports marketing firm Pluri developed the idea with Gremio. Pluri Head Fernando Ferreira said that "other teams are in talks to open similar club-themed restaurants" (REUTERS, 2/6).