NBA Star Chris Webber Tips Off New Basketball Themed Restaurants

Chris Webber, of the Philadelphia 76ers, is getting ready to debut his new basketball themed restaurant called Center Court with C Webb. The restaurant will be located in Sacramento, California, where Chris Webber played for several years as a member of the Sacramento Kings. The Sacramento location will be the first of ten restaurants that Chris Webber hopes to open across the country. Center Court will be designed so that diners feel they are eating inside of a basketball arena. There will be a replica basketball court and scoreboard inside the restaurant, so customers will feel like they are sitting courtside. The outside of the restaurant will be designed to look like the outside of a basketball stadium. In addition, Center Court will contain large quantities of basketball memorabilia to pay homage to many of the game’s great legends. The restaurant will feature college and pro memorabilia and future locations will be in both college towns and NBA cities.

Often times, theme restaurants are good for atmosphere, but not for food. In this case, the food should live up to the surroundings. Chris Webber is teaming up with Dudum Sports and Entertainment to create the Center Court restaurant concept. Dudum Sports and Entertainment has already created sports themed restaurants that are extremely successful in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Dudum restaurants are as popular for their great food as they are for their original and eye-catching interior design. Existing Dudum family restaurants include McCovey’s, Joe DiMaggio’s Italian Chophouse, and Bing Crosby’s Restaurant. McCovey’s and Bing Crosby’s are located in Walnut Creek, California and Joe DiMaggio’s is in San Francisco.

McCovey’s is named after baseball Hall of Famer Willie McCovey, who played for the San Francisco Giants. McCovey’s is designed to replicate AT&T Park, the home field for the San Francisco Giants. The replica is so well done that there are base paths, outfield walls, and a sign showing the number of splash homers into McCovey Cove. The restaurant is filled with baseball memorabilia, including signed uniforms, bats, balls, and photos. There are also dozens of televisions to watch your favorite game. Oh, and the food is excellent.

Joe DiMaggio’s and Bing Crosby’s are just as good as McCovey’s, but even more upscale. DiMaggio’s and Crosby’s offer both great food and a fancy setting. The memorabilia is more in the form of black and white photographs and paintings, instead of signed bats and balls. Although the surroundings are fancier, the atmosphere is not stuffy. All of the Dudum restaurants have a lively and fun atmosphere.

Chris Webber’s Center Court should be similar to McCovey’s, except with a focus on basketball. Center Court will be located near Arco Arena, the home of the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is full of Kings’ fans and Chris Webber was very popular there, so Center Court should be wildly successful. It will become a popular place to watch Sacramento Kings games and sporting events of all kinds. Center Court is scheduled to open in the fall of 2006, hopefully in time for basketball season. Sacramento residents will be in for a treat, once they can sit courtside at Center Court. Stay tuned for a Center Court location opening near you.