FSR June 2023

On the Rise

Cremeaux and the Banana Bread Waf fle, while specialty drinks on its cock tail menu include Latenight Game—a coconut-washed Tito’s vodka with blue berry coffee and noix de coco—and their Sparkling Trophy, which consists of bot anist gin, lime, lemon, creme de violette, blackberries, and basil. Along with the cocktail menu, they have an extensive wine list with bottles ranging from $34 to north of $200. “Whether you’re having the Bolog nese or the short rib or a sandwich, you have the ability to experience all of those things in a dining experience that we think from a service standpoint, will be highly enjoyed. Plus, dining should be part of the entertainment,” says Plott, who replaced Bill Freeman as CEO of Shula Restaurant Group in February this year. The contract to build Don Shula’s American Kitchen was originally signed three years ago, but the project just came together in the past year. The Hall of

Fame Village team played a key role in the launch of Shula’s Restaurant Kitchen, aid ing in construction and design elements. “We gave a lot of input to the menu [and] the pricing. We also gave input to making the place unique and different, creating a sense of place from a design point of view for Coach Shula and to rep resent his brand,” says Michael Crawford, Hall of Fame Village CEO. “And obvi ously, being around the Hall of Fame, we wanted it to really stand out as some thing unique and different.” Besides providing insight and input, Crawford says the Village trusted the Shula Group to create a place that would honor Hall of Famer Shula. The restau rant opened to the public on March 21, and has already received a positive com munity response and media praise. “I think the feedback has been, I use three letters—wow,” says Crawford. “It’s just been reviewed in the local newspa per; I would echo their words that every thing is great, the food experience and the service is fantastic.” The Village sees many high-profile guests visit such as NFL team owners, and with the addition of Don Shula’s American Kitchen, those guests will have closer proximity to an elevated din DON SHULA’S IS DESIGNED TO BE A HIGHER END CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE, STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN A BREW PUB AND A PIZZA/ICE CREAM PLACE.

ing experience, Crawford adds. As the brand expands its food options in the Village, the company also wants to cater to guests who come for a waterpark day, events, or just to visit the Hall of Fame. Though the restaurant group plans to open more units in the future, the success of the Canton location remains the top priority. “I think [from] Shula’s standpoint, this is just another oppor tunity for us to expand the brand, and we do want to take [it] across the coun try,” says Plott. He expects an uptick in business during the summer months will yield great success for the restau rant, especially as the Village expands its food program. “We thought through the types of food experiences that would make the most sense. With Don Shula being more about higher-end casual dining expe riences, we wanted to balance that between a brew pub, a pizza place, and an ice cream place—something that was really there for everyone to enjoy,” says Crawford. Before joining the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company as CEO in 2018, Crawford first learned the ropes of creating unique food experiences for customers while working for The Walt Disney Company. There, he considered the different types of customers across Disney’s parks in California, Florida, and Shanghai, China, and helped develop what would best fit their dining needs. Crawford hopes the Don Shula’s American Kitchen will act as a signal to Pro Football Hall of Famers that the Village wants to continue to grow their relationship with them, and make the athletes feel like they’re a part of the des tination. And while the Village wants to be a place that honors Hall of Fame legends, it also seeks to become a place where visitors can feel entertained and bring their family and friends, and leave feeling like their own legacy is growing. “Our hope is that the legacy of the Hall of Fame and the men that are enshrined there just continues to permeate through the Village, and gives an extension of everything that they’ve done at a high level through their careers,” he adds.

SHULA’S RESTAURANT GROUP (2)

JUNE 2023

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