St. Louis Bar & Grill is offering “another way to build community” through a partnership with Sports Interaction, the Canadian digital sportsbook and casino.
“Wings and Wagers” is a new, exclusive, multi-year team up that allows St. Louis guests across Ontario access customized betting options through the Sports Interaction app.
The partnership also enables the family style pub chain to offer sports fans with exclusives on game nights and other sporting events, and the restaurant believes it’s a differentiator and interest-driver.
“This is a partnership we’ve been considering since Ontario launched its regulated sports betting program, and our relationship with Sports Interaction began over a year ago,” says Royal Nasager, VP of marketing for St. Louis Bar & Grill. “Our strategy to enrich in-restaurant experiences with ownable events and menu items is one way we are fueling our growth and overall success.”
As Nasager explains, the brand has been a popular destination for fans to watch the game and the Sports Interaction platform is another way to build community.
“Wings and Wagers” is aimed at sports fans who are already casually betting and guests who are new to the betting experience. Guests can wage bets on thousands of Canadian, U.S., and global leagues at all levels and types. “We also love that Sports Interaction is Canadian-centric because so many of our guests are proud supporters of home teams,” says Nasager.
Recent Restaurant Canada numbers reveal that half of its membership is losing money – despite a 10% increase in total spend over last year – due to increasing costs.
Nasager admits that while the industry is currently navigating some challenging times, it is “humbled by the strong performance of our restaurants and the very positive guest response we consistently receive,” telling strategy that for Q3, St. Louis’ same store sales are up 2.4% in the quarter and 7.4% year to date.
“Wings and Wagers,” he says, is a great example of how St. Louis is being true to the brand “by enhancing what guests already love us for.”
Program details are available in Ontario restaurants, where guests can download the Sports Interaction app via a QR code. “We’ve also announced ‘Wings and Wagers’ through our owned media channels, as well as to the press,” says Nasager.
The in-house marketing team collaborated with Sports Interaction on the initiative. V&CO is providing PR support.
This summer, St. Louis brought burgers – not wings – to retail.
