Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the Homewood Suites Port Saint Lucie-Tradition - Port Saint Lucie, Florida   Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting for the Fairfield Inn and Suites - Verona, New York News Channel 9 news piece on Amsterdam, New York's Recovery Sports Bar. 08/14/2009 AMSTERDAM, N.Y. -- Residents in Amsterdam are all hyped up. "I think it’s about time they got something in the city," one resident said. "It will give people a few more options for a little more entertainment," said resident Bill Chirico. They're excited because a new sports bar is being built in town. It'll be called the Recovery Room Sports Bar and Grill. The bar is already a big hit in Albany and managers hope it'll be as successful in Amsterdam. "It’s so unique. The food is excellent. There's great specials all the time. It’s gonna be a place of destination. People are gonna want to come in," said Dave Lepine, General Manager of the Recovery Room. The Recovery Room is being built right on Route 30, next to the SEFCU bank and across the street from the St. Mary's Amsterdam Memorial Campus. It’s a location some residents find a bit appealing. "I think it’s great next to a hospital. If you need to get over there quick for any reason, it’s a quick ride and also next to a bank, obviously, if you run out of beer money, it’s a quick walk over, you get some money, go back and have a few more," said resident Dan Quatrini. The sports bar will be similar to the one in Albany, as well as one that opened up in Verona and one that will be opening in Troy. It'll be equipped with more than 55 flat screen TVs so customers can enjoy a great sports game while eating a hot meal. "We'll have all the different packages. The baseball, if you're a Chicago Cubs fan or how about the Chicago Bears. You'll never miss a Chicago Bears game," Lepine said. The Recovery Room will also have a game room and the walls will also bear a local touch. “We are scouring around to get all sorts of local memorabilia. We are also striving for all the local artifacts too and the community will be surprised," Lepine said. As residents anxiously await for the sports bar to open, managers say they'll have to wait until the end of October. Capital News 9 Video Hotel, sports bar open across from casino. By LYNN COLLIER Dispatch Staff Writer VERONA — Two new businesses with the same owner have made their way into Verona and so far, management says everything is going well. Fairfield Inn by Marriott and the Recovery Room Sports Grill are neighbors on Willow Place off of Route 365 in Verona. The hotel’s general manager, Tommy Bate,s said that Fairfield Inn has been successful since it opened in early March. “Everything’s been really good,? he said. “We didn’t anticipate such a response. Usually a hotel takes six months to ramp up. We ramped up very quickly.? Bates attributes the success found so far to the powerful brand behind the 93-room hotel where 31 people are employed. Director of Sales Lori Hicks said that brand loyalty is strong among Marriott customers and Bates believes that the location is also a large key to success. “There’s not another one for 30 miles,? he said of the nearest Marriott brand hotel, which is located in Syracuse. “You have business travelers and Utica is part of their route. Now I think we have another option for them.? Hicks said that she’s happy that this business entered the Verona community, which used to be a lot more rural, and hopes to see continued expansion. “It’s exciting for the area to be growing,? she said. “I remember it being fields.? Hicks said that she hopes local attractions and establishments will draw business from around the area. Already graduations at nearby colleges filled rooms, as do business travelers on a weekly basis. The upcoming fire chief’s convention in the area will also bring some serious business, Bates said. Online surveys taken by guests of the hotel have drawn positive feedback already, Hicks said. Hospitality and service are huge priorities at Fairfield Inn, Bates said, as are offerings like free WiFi in each room, flat-screen TVs and modern shower heads. Additionally, guests get complimentary breakfast, as well as use of an indoor pool, exercise facility and business center in the lobby. The hotel also contains a 600 square foot meeting room, which can be used by guests for business-related needs, as it contains state-of-the-art technology for presentations, and can also be used by people who want to rent it for organizational meetings or small receptions. The hotel’s neighbor, The Recovery Room Sports Grill, is owned by BBL Construction, the same Albany-based company that owns Fairfield Inn. The Recovery Room opened officially on Monday to large crowds, Assistant General Manager Jill McAllister said. “We were mobbed,? she said, something that isn’t always the norm for a Monday evening. Even better is how smoothly it went. “We did not hit any bumps in the road,? she said of the business that employs nearly 50. Upon entering the Recovery Room, one cannot help but notice the massive number of televisions all around. There are over 50, McAllister said, some of which are large screen TVs. Sports fans won’t miss a thing between their choice of 8 games playing continuously around the bar and restaurant. The idea is that they won’t have to. McAllister said that the concept behind The Recovery Room came from BBL head Don Led Duke, who she said aimed to build “a bunch of unique sports places? unlike any that already exist. The goal is to carry foods that cater to all, including women and children, but she noted that wings are a big part of the menu, too, with plenty of special sauces, including a margarita sauce that she said is a Recovery Room original recipe. In general, McAllister said that the sporty menu ranges from casual favorites to higher-end dishes, like pecan encrusted chicken and a salmon dinner. There are also meals for the kids, and for adults, there are a variety of specialty drinks. The restaurant also includes an arcade, featuring a basketball game and an air hockey table, and tons of sports memorabilia. Special to this sports establishment is the local touch, as pieces given to the restaurant from local college and university sport teams, like LeMoyne, Colgate and Morrisville State. Oneida High School memorabilia is also featured. “We did a big call out,? she said. “We’re trying to build relationships in the community.? McAllister said that there is already a Recovery Room in Albany, which has proven to be very popular and further expansion for the restaurant is expected. Having a neighbor like the Fairfield Inn will probably help business in Verona, she feels. “We have a captive audience right here,? she laughed. Soon, she said, the restaurant will have another neighbor; A Dunkin’ Donuts store that is set to be built by BBL soon. While it is a goal to draw people into the restaurant, or even have them outside on the patio watching an additional six televisions, delivery is also an option that is proving popular so far. The Recovery Room is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. The Fairfield Inn can be reached at 363-8888. The Recovery Room Sports Grill can be reached at 363-0100. March Madness at Recovery Room presented by timesunion.com’s Night Cam Recovery' sports restaurants keep popping up The target opening date for the latest Recovery Sports Bar & Grill is mid-August in Troy, but the Albany-based group isn't wasting time until then. Ground is about to be broken on restaurants in both Amsterdam (Montgomery County) and in New Jersey, according to a unit manager I spoke with, and another restaurant just opened June 1 opposite the Turning Stone Casino in Central New York. The hoped-for mid-August event depends on when the new Hilton Garden Inn opens on Hoosick Street (Route 7) in Troy. BBL Construction Services, which is the corporate parent of the restaurant group, already has Recoverys in Albany and Norfolk, VA. The Albany entity is called the Recovery Room Sports Bar & Grill, a nod to its New Scotland Avenue location opposite the Albany Medical Center.The Virginia unit is located in SpringHill Suites, a Marriott hotel, on the campus of Old Dominion University. The menu, which includes the usual sports pub finger foods, also ranges up to steak, ribs, chicken, pasta and seafood entrees. A typical Recovery restaurant also offers a sports memorabilia collection and games.