FSR
FSR’s Breakout Brand of the Year: Why All Eyes are On Tom’s Watch Bar
By Callie Evergreen
January 5, 2026
Meet the chain that’s evolving and setting itself up for success for years to come: Tom’s Watch Bar. The evolved sports bar concept has expanded to nearly 20 locations boasting $7 million AUVs and annual revenue over $100 million. And though co-CEOs Brooks Schaden and Shannon McNiel see plenty of room for expansion, they’re maintaining a thoughtful, sustainable approach to growth.
With aspirations of being “better than a ticket to the game,” Tom’s Watch Bar is building the next evolution of the sports bar and the future of watch parties. “If you think about the experience of going to a game, it’s great, but the cost is expensive, and you’re sitting side-by-side,” says Brooks Schaden, co-founder and co-CEO of the rising concept. “If you want to get food, you’ve got to leave and go get really average food up in the stadium. And maybe it’s good, maybe it’s not, but you have to leave the game for 15 minutes.”
The idea with Tom’s Watch Bar was to create a place for passionate fans to get together and have an experience where they say, “I don’t want to go to the game. I want to come to Tom’s.” And despite that bold ambition, the brand has had no trouble attracting partnerships with major sports organizations.
“One of the nice things—and one of the reasons the teams have grown to develop strong relationships [with us]—is that it’s great on game days,” Schaden says. “But when the team’s not in town, and they’re not in town half the time, how do they continue to create that experience next door, across the street, in the suburbs, with their fans when the team’s not even there? I think it’s a really great kind of complementary partnership.”
The company estimates it served 2.5 million fans and hosted more than 600 watch parties in 2024, driving restaurant-level margins up over 25 percent. Add that to an annual revenue of $100 million and $7 million AUVs, and you’re looking at a growth concept you simply can’t ignore—even if you’ve never heard of it.
The brand has 19 locations open in major sports cities across the U.S., including venues at Coors Field in Denver, Mohegan Sun Resort/Casino in Connecticut where the WNBA Connecticut Sun play, at the Vegas Strip in the NY NY Hotel and Casino, and in Minneapolis, located in proximity to the Target Center (Timberwolves/Lynx) and Target Field (Twins). Up from 13 locations at the end of 2024, Tom’s opened its doors in Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Milwaukee, with more on the horizon.
The Lightbulb Moment
When the idea for Tom’s Watch Bar was first forming, the co-founders took note of all the not-so-great stereotypes surrounding sports bars: The sticky floors. The stale beer. The necessity of calling the bar to check if they’re playing a certain game.
“Nobody’s really done anything to upgrade the concept of the sports bar in a long time,” says Schaden. And even though the category is crowded and well-established, they saw room to create a more modern, upgraded experience that meets the needs of changing consumers where they are today.
That means tapping into fantasy leagues, sports betting, and making it easier to watch a wider variety of sports from the WNBA to international soccer to UFC/combat sports.
“Access to content has just become so much more pervasive. Even just the WNBA, so many people are much more familiar with it, and Caitlin Clark and just the attention that she’s brought to the sport,” Schaden lists. “Formula 1, UFC, and combat sports is one of our biggest days every month.”
With these differences in the way people watch sports, the team “started going to the lab to create something better. And it’s not just about TVs,” Schaden notes, though that is a big differentiating draw. A key piece was designing each restaurant so no matter where someone is sitting, they can see all the games they could possibly want to see on any given day. Tom’s Watch Bar offers a 360-degree viewing experience with more than 100 screens showing a curated sports programming schedule of college, pro, and international sporting events.
Another major differentiator—rarely seen in the bar space—is Tom’s curated programming schedule. Much like a movie theater, each location publishes weekly “showtimes” for sports events. Fans know exactly what will be on the biggest screens, which games get priority, and how the venue is structured around the sports calendar.
Internally, this requires an intense “battle-planning” process every Sunday and Monday, where they’ll ask:
- Which events will anchor each day?
- Where should each game be shown?
- What niche sports or emerging trends need screen real estate?
- How does the schedule affect staffing, bar setup, and menu pacing?
“The other big observation was that sports fans are passionate, and it’s a community, and I think that’s the underlying theme that we try to keep with everything we do—that sports is a community, and people want to come out to watch with other fans,” Schaden says.
“You can watch whatever game you want on your phone, on your iPad, at home, you can get whatever you want. People are coming out to Tom’s because we’re creating a different experience that draws in other people.”
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
As co-CEOs, Schaden and Shannon McNiel bring deeply complementary skills. Schaden—with experience at Merrill Lynch, ABN-AMRO, and Smashburger—handles finance, growth, and development. McNiel—shaped by decades at Texas Roadhouse, Bubba’s 33, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, and Darden—leads operations, training, and people development.
Though there’s a fairly clear divide in those responsibilities, they stay in constant communication and have a “healthy understanding that this business, probably more than any I’ve ever seen, requires a really strong balance between what we often call the three-legged stool,” Schaden notes. “It’s got to be right for the consumer, it’s got to be right for operations, [and] it’s got to be right for the shareholders.”
Teamwork may make the dream work in this case, but it’s not uncommon in the broader business landscape for egos and competition to get in the way of sharing a title, even if there are shared goals and values. “This doesn’t work for everybody, for sure,” Schaden says.
Though both have been instrumental to the company since its inception in 2014, Schaden initially started out as the brand’s CFO, while McNiel began as COO. They were promoted to co-CEOs in November 2024, succeeding co-founders Tom Ryan and former Quiznos CEO Rick Schaden (Brooks’ cousin) who remained as active advisors and board members.
“Shannon and I have been working together very closely in the trenches of building this business since the very beginning. There’s just kind of a natural division where I know what he’s doing. I know what he’s thinking,” Schaden says. “More importantly, we’ve built this implicit trust. We’re friends and brothers just as much as we are co-CEOs, so this arrangement really works because we are able to operate as one. I have an incredible amount of trust for what he does, and I know that he can do it better than anyone I’ve ever seen. And to have that kind of partner is truly an asset for us, and invaluable from a business and personal perspective.”
This collaborative approach enabled them to build the foundation for Tom’s Watch Bar and turn their dream into a reality, and their commitment to constant improvement has fueled the brand’s forward momentum and growing fan base.
Another important part of Tom’s model is its Operating Partner program, which replaces the traditional GM structure—and reflects the influence Texas Roadhouse has had on the industry and on McNiel. These leaders have ownership stakes, aligning incentives with the brand’s long-term success.
This alignment has created a highly collaborative field leadership team that shares best practices, even across distant markets. “Our operating team is truly like a brotherhood, sisterhood, like I’ve never seen,” Schaden highlights. “When we get together for our conferences, the connection that we have amongst all of our operating team is really incredible. They do a great job of sharing best practices, what’s working here, what didn’t work here. It’s really a multifaceted system to make sure that we can consistently pull off what we’re trying to do around the country.”
Elevated Eats
Another piece that makes Tom’s Watch Bar stand out is the focus on elevated food beyond classic sports bar fare. Though they do still have burgers, wings, and plenty of appetizers, the menu kicks it up a notch with offerings like the ahi tuna tower with sticky rice, avocado, sesame seeds, and crispy onions topped with a drizzle of truffle oil; the butter-poached lobster & shrimp mac & cheese; slow-braised birria beef tacos with diced onions, melted cheddar jack cheese, fresh cilantro, and served with consommé for dipping; and the Asian teriyaki glazed salmon salad served with almonds, pineapple, sesame seeds, mint, green onions, and white balsamic vinaigrette.
The goal was creating a menu with enough diversity that everyone feels comfortable, without trying to be all things to all people—a delicate balance, especially when your guest demographics change by the daypart.
“There’s a really big difference in our crowd when it’s Saturday at noon for a baseball game, versus Saturday at 9 p.m. and it’s a UFC fight,” Schaden points out. “We wanted to make sure that the venue, the layout, the space, the hospitality, and the menu and the drinks are all catered towards and accommodate that.”
Meeting the Moment and Knowing Your Core Guest
A crucial part of knowing your brand identity is also knowing what you’re not; for example, Tom’s Watch Bar isn’t the place for 21-year-olds looking for a $3 beer night at a dive bar, Schaden notes. “There’s a time and a place for that, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I think, more than anything else, the other thing I’ve learned in this business and business in general—decide who you are and make the main thing the main thing, and don’t deviate from it.”
“That’s really what we’re trying to do, is to say, I know we are a sports bar. These are what sports fans want. Let’s stay engaged and communicate with them to find out what they like and what they don’t like, and keep adjusting and molding it so that we’re taking care of what we know our core guest is,” he adds.
At the same time, they recognize Tom’s Watch Bar isn’t just a place for sports fans, but for any group of passionate people who want to watch something together in a comfortable space that serves elevated food—which includes lovers of reality television. That inclusive environment is part of the reason why women make up half the emerging chain’s customer base, despite sports bars being historically male dominated.
Case in point: One of their “Love Island” watch parties last summer resulted in a line of 250 people out the door. The first event held in Sacramento drove a nearly 900 percent rise in sales and made $30,000 in a single night during an otherwise slow season, after the Big Game and before March Madness.
Throughout last summer, Tom’s rolled out “Love Island” events across all locations, complete with DJs, influencers, and even cast appearances. Attendance routinely beat most traditional summer sports events, and the lavender lemon drop martini overtook beer and wings as the top seller on event nights.
Tom’s is no stranger to wild traffic swings; a Denver location once jumped from $2,000 one night to $220,000 two days later during baseball’s opening week. But that operational readiness became a secret weapon as “Love Island” fans packed locations nightly, filling the dining rooms with an energy usually reserved for playoff games.
The big lesson, Schaden says, is whether it’s sports or reality TV, people want to connect with other enthusiasts. Late last year, the brand hosted a “Survivor” night in San Diego. And now, Tom’s plans to expand programming into new fandoms, from slap fighting to dog surfing to the next breakout reality hit. “We can curate any event in our restaurants, and we do this at a high level,” notes McNiel. “We’re able to reach large groups. We’re able to reach their fans that also love reality TV, and then we’re on a run rate of 1.2 million of our internal database.”
McNiel’s approach to successful watch parties is anchored by three pillars. The first is partnering with local teams (like the Minnesota Timberwolves) to engage fans directly. The second is leveraging a network of college alumni groups to drive regular attendance. The third is collaborating with a large base of internal vendors who work closely with major sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB teams to create added value and host events.
Looking ahead, McNiel acknowledges industry challenges such as rising costs and shifting consumer expectations, but emphasizes staying disciplined, focusing on operational excellence, and utilizing automation and AI for smarter forecasting and scheduling. His guiding principle: deliver strong value by combining quality product and experience, managed with efficiency and tradition.
“In 2026, restaurants do face a high-stakes balancing act,” he says. “You’ve got rising costs, shifting consumer expectations, but not all those pressure points really deserve panic. I think our operators will continue to lean into automation. AI forecasting and scheduling has been a big unlock. You know, these are trends Brooks and I are watching very closely.”
He adds, “We have a team right now that understands product plus experience divided by price equals value. What I mean is, we are going to stay focused on servers and stations, quality drink, food fast, and we’re going to stay disciplined to good old-fashioned restaurant running. I preach it every day to our field team, and that is our motto in 2026.”
Operations & Tech: Built for $40K Hours
For McNiel, technology is an operational game-changer. The bar often has drinks ready before the server even leaves the table, driven by the efficiency of the handheld tablets, he notes. “When you walk into our restaurant, you’ll have a genuine smile … but you’re probably getting an employee [placing a] drink in your hand from one of our modular bars at the front door. This is another strategy for us to sell more, sell faster. Traditional restaurants in casual-dining space have one service station at every bar. We have two. What does that mean? It means that you’re getting double the number of drinks made twice as fast, and that’s a big unlock for our business.”
Speed also isn’t limited to the front of house. Behind the kitchen wall, state-of-the-art equipment cooks burgers in two minutes, and similar investments in efficient and easy-to-use tools have ultimately resulted in ticket times less than 10 minutes.
From the earliest days, the team knew they needed “fast ticket times” and a supply chain that “allowed for really fast recovery,” says Schaden. As the concept grew, they quickly realized traditional restaurant models wouldn’t suffice.
“When we’ve got 1,000 people in our LA Live location, you can’t have servers trying to fight through the crowd and go back and forth to the kitchen,” Schaden explains. “So we very quickly moved towards a requirement to have handhelds on servers, and we’ll have drink and food runners [and] we have technology for ordering and routing things into the kitchen.”
The brand regularly sees volume spikes that would break almost any traditional system. The most extreme example happened this past fall, when the team recorded “a $40,000 hour in Minneapolis on a $93,000 day. I’ll just pause and let that sink in,” McNiel notes. “That’s unheard of in the restaurant industry.”
The need for efficiency shapes menu development; every SKU had to earn its place by hitting the time standard and surviving UFC nights to playoff crowds. “We have very, very tight guardrails on; it has to be able to get out in less than 8 minutes, because we can’t afford in these kind of environments to have long ticket times,” Schaden notes. “It’s crowded. We need to make sure we’re taking [care of] folks during these times.”
As volumes increased, the team realized traditional layouts were slowing them down, which forced a total redesign of the guest-flow model. Booths and banquettes gave way to moveable furniture and stools for more flexibility. Rails, high-tops, and video-wall zones replaced formal sections, allowing fans—who may be strangers at first—to engage with each other and high-five when their team scores.
In addition to these redesigns, the evolved prototype saw a smaller kitchen footprint while the dining room expanded to fit more people. That choice came with trade-offs. By designing for peak moments—baseball opening week, UFC nights, playoff runs, and the surprise “$40,000 hour”—the team knowingly created a space that can feel oversized during slower stretches or shoulder seasons. But that’s the reality of a sports-driven business model.
Meeting game day demand means strategic scheduling and supply. “We can’t just say, ‘Wednesdays are typically this.’ It’s all based on what the sports schedule is,” Schaden shares. “I often use the example of Denver during opening baseball week. I think we literally did $2,500 in sales on Wednesday, and we did $250,000 sales on Friday. And if you don’t know that and do your research and plan your whole business around it, there’s going to be big, big trouble.”
“It is one of the other things that’s really unique is not just planning the schedule—we have to plan our whole business around it, our marketing around it, but also the operators really have to plan their staffing, their ordering, the supply chain,” he continues. “Everything has to be built off that, so we have to be really, really good at the at the planning and forecasting based on those events.”
All of this is powered by a culture that champions innovation and adaptability. “AI forecasting and scheduling has been a big unlock,” McNiel adds. “We’re going to stay focused on servers and stations, quality drink, food fast, and we’re going to stay disciplined to good old-fashioned restaurant running.”
Building a Network of ‘Fan Sanctuaries’
At the heart of Tom’s Watch Bar’s disciplined expansion is a hyper-selective real estate strategy built around sports density, consistent nighttime traffic, and true partnership potential. Rather than casting a wide net, the team evaluates markets at the block level, studying fan behavior, event calendars, foot-traffic patterns, and the strength of nearby sports franchises.
They pursue only AAA sites—often owned by teams, casinos, or entertainment-district developers—because those locations naturally align with their all-day, multi-sport use case. That means saying no far more than they say yes. It also means being patient. Many of these spaces never hit the open market, and deals take time. But that measured approach ensures every new unit opens with built-in demand, strong landlord alignment, and a clear path to become a city’s central “fan sanctuary.”
Even with massive white space ahead, Tom’s Watch Bar’s leaders say their expansion philosophy is rooted in restraint, alignment, and picking only the right opportunities. As Schaden puts it, “we could open 50 stores next year. We see that much opportunity. Our challenge is really more to restrict ourselves to say, ‘let’s make sure that we’re going to do the stores that make sense.’”
“We’ve all seen it over and over again, people that move too far, too fast, and there’s nothing worse than an early-stage opening a bad location that’s failing, and now 90 percent of the resources are dedicated towards that one store,” he adds.
Rather than chasing a number for the sake of growth, the team focuses on winning markets block by block. Schaden mentions opening seven or eight stores is a reasonable target for next year, but the team isn’t tied to hitting a specific goal. “We don’t have to hit eight. We could do two, we could do four. We are going to do the number of stores that are right for the company … that match with the staffing plan and the bench that Shannon has in place and fits with the resources that we have,” Schaden says.
McNiel echoes the discipline behind every real estate decision, emphasizing that rapid growth only works if the operational backbone stays strong. “We’re not trying to stub our toe,” he says. “We never lose sight of the fact that the foundation matters, and we’ve got to have a bench strength, and we’ve got to make sure that the fundamentals of each restaurant we open [are there] … I learned a long time ago that the people come first, and then you build the concrete. You’ve got to have people, and that’s something that we’re very cautious of, is to make sure that we grow responsibly.”
For him, that foundation is built long before a lease is signed—through talent pipelines, market-by-market support structures, and opening teams that can deliver the Tom’s experience from day one. He notes that a great site is meaningless if the people and systems behind it aren’t ready, and that disciplined growth means resisting the temptation to chase every shiny opportunity. The goal isn’t just planting flags—it’s ensuring every new Tom’s can thrive on opening night, during peak sports calendars, and five years down the road.
At the same time, the brand’s national potential is unmistakable. Schaden notes, “the white space for this brand is massive… sports fans are everywhere.” The opportunity isn’t limited to traditional sports hubs or major league cities—Tom’s has found that passionate fan bases exist in nearly every market, from suburban entertainment districts to casino resorts to mixed-use developments springing up around newly revitalized arenas.
What excites the co-CEOs is the universality of the occasion: people simply want a place to gather, cheer, debate, commiserate, and celebrate—a scalable idea that can be tailored to the energy and identity of each city. Whether that passion is for the local NFL team, the WNBA’s breakout season, or even reality-show finales, Tom’s sees itself as a connector—one that’s capable of uniting fans in environments thoughtfully designed to amplify those shared moments.
“I think we find ourselves in this really unique place that we’ve provided a place and a venue where everyone wants to get together, to come watch a live event. That isn’t going away,” Schaden notes. “The challenge and the pressure that I feel is as that continues to grow, what do we have to make sure we continue to do that we’re providing a good experience for the guests?”
“We’ve got a great restaurant business. We make a lot of money off of it. Our F&B is great. The hospitality is great, and that’s all part of it. But more than anything else, longer term, as we get bigger and bigger, we’re creating our own audience of millions of different sports fans that come in and sit down with us for two or three hours and share in their time at our venues,” he continues. “How else do we continue to engage with folks and activate with other things, whether that’s games and giveaways and teams and partners or whatever else it might be? I think that’s the really exciting part about where I see this going as I take a big step back. It’s not just a restaurant, but how do we view ourselves as a venue where we bring people together over a common passion?”
Together, the co-CEOs are steering the brand with both ambition and discipline—expanding only where the concept can thrive, partner deeply, and become the go-to home base for fans across the country. Their vision is to create places where passion feels shared and belonging feels instant—rooms that light up with collective energy no matter which team, sport, or fandom takes center stage. As Tom’s Watch Bar continues to grow, the goal isn’t simply to plant more flags. It’s to build more communities of fans brought together under one roof, and to create more moments that make people feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves.
“We’re building something bigger than screens and venues,” McNiel adds. “We’re creating a network of fan sanctuaries. Places where every game matters. Every team has a home. Every fan feels like they belong, whether you’re cheering for a power five school, a UFC underdog, or just your hometown WNBA, Tom’s Watch Bar is where passion finds its people … We’re not just showing the game—we’re elevating it. And we’re just getting started.”
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