Greeley restaurant family opens new sports bar

GREELEY — Longtime Greeley restaurateur Matt Larson and his son Alex have opened The G.O.A.T. Sports Bar in Centerplace of Greeley.

With Alex as managing partner and general manager of the new bar, the two have taken a concept that they saw in San Diego and created a locally owned bar and restaurant designed for sports aficionados. It is located at 2514 46th Ave. in Greeley.

The name is a takeoff on sports lingo for The Greatest of All Time. But the facility’s menu gives some reference to the farm animal, too, with a goat burger featuring goat cheese.

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“We both thought there was a need for a local sports bar in Greeley,” Matt, the owner of Kenny’s Steakhouse at 3502 W. 10th St., said in an interview. Alex, who grew up working in the family business, left Greeley for San Diego, where he spent about four years working in the hospitality industry. There, he experienced Barley Bash, a sports bar that became the inspiration for G.O.A.T.

The new sports bar, like Barley Bash, features a 360-degree bar top and patio seating. The owners have placed 36 televisions in the facility — three of them outside.

Patio seating is heated for the early season; the patio had its debut a week ago before the big snowstorm shut it down last weekend.

“We’ve had wonderful reception so far; it exceeded both of our expectations,” Matt said.

Alex said the bar employs about 40 people, most of them part time. G.O.A.T. expects to hire college and high school students, as well as permanent staff members.

Alex anticipates a big weekend as March Madness kicks off this week. Matt said with sports betting now legal, “we’ll see some of that” as people use their phones to place wagers. And to accommodate phone usage, each booth has a phone charging station.

Matt’s focus will be on Kenny’s, while Alex will oversee G.O.A.T. Other family members find roles at one or the other. Alex’s younger brother Andrew is a manager at the sports bar.

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