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E. S. P. Retail Showcase

Focus -  Sports & Recreation

RACE ROCK®

One of the company’s slogans is “Enough Horsepower to Shake the Earth.”

 

RACE ROCK® is a 20,000-sq.ft. full-service motorsports themed restaurant packed with racing memorabilia from all forms of motorsports.  The restaurant and bar features video walls, video monitors and interactive simulators depicting the world of racing. The in-house retail area features apparel and memorabilia promoting the Race Rock logo, as well as a wide selection of racing mementos, licensed merchandise and authentic collectibles from the $3-billion motorsports industry.

 

The concept pays homage to the love for speedy vehicles of any kind  ­  motorcycles (asphalt or off-road), boats (factory, production, modified, stock), autos (funny car, rails, street stock, modified, sprints, midgets, Indy, formula, stock).  It may be overzealous with its theme, yes, but the restaurant is gorgeous, entertaining, and exhilarating.  Several E.S.P staffers have visited the restaurant, and the food and concept get the checkered flag.  The first Race Rock restaurant opened in 1996 in Orlando, Florida.   It was adorned with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt’s NASCAR racers, the largest monster truck in the world, Smokin’ Joe and Miss Budweiser hydroplanes, top fuel dragsters, Indy cars, and... get the picture?  The venue reflects the loves of flamboyant founder, Robert “Bobby” Moore.  Whether he is racing offshore power boats, training and preforming with his elephants or promoting his various restaurants, he does things with a touch of the colorful and eccentric... and perhaps genius.

 

 

 

 In 1970, at the age of 20, he opened his first eatery in Detroit.  It quickly became a popular bar and grill.  As his success grew, so did his indulgences.  “High-speed” offshore power racing became his “love.” Then he had a vision of blending his two “loves” in a themed restaurant.  He incorporated a full-sized offshore racing boat into the interior of his new restaurant, and in 1981 he opened another successful restaurant in the Detroit area... it quickly became one of the area’s top fine dining restaurants.   As a  successful restaurateur and an accomplished racer, Moore decided to pursue his childhood dream of owning, training and performing with elephants.   He brought his first elephant in 1980.  He learned everything he could about elephants,  and by 1989 Moore’s herd had grown to 13 prize elephants and he was regarded as one of the top trainers in the world.  Moore and his elephants were hired to perform with the Ringling Brothers/Barnum & Bailey Circus on its first tour of Japan.  In 1992, Moore sold his elephants.  He  decided to return to his true passion, restaurant development.  That year,  he opened the original Race Rock in the suburbs of Detroit.  In 1996, with a crew of investors, Moore  moved and opened the current flagship Race Rock in Orlando, Florida.

 

 

Expansion:  The second Race Rock will open in Las Vegas on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street at the entrance to the old Vegas “Glitter Gulch.”   Race Rock Las Vegas will be a 30,000-sq.ft., two-level retail, entertainment and full-service restaurant.  The soft opening is planned for September/October 1999.  Future sites are planned for New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Brazil.  The company is looking for major cities where there is heavy year-round tourist traffic.   E.S.P. has been told by a corporate representative that the company will continue to own all venues in the United States, but it proposes to franchise the concept in international markets.

 

Branding:  In addition to selling licensed merchandise from the motorsports industry, Race Rock heavily promotes merchandise with its own brand.  The company already has a merchandise truck selling logo items on the Vegas site.

 

The Menu: Selections begin with Start Your Engines (appetizers) like “Nitro Wings” and “Chicken Dragsters”; Qualifying Laps (soups and salads); Stock and Modified (burgers and sandwiches) like “Hot Rod” and “Fully Modified”; Circle Tracks (pizza) featuring Jeff Gordon’s favorite double pepperoni with mushrooms and pineapple; Pole Position Pastas featuring “Mama Andretti’s Pasta”; The Main Event (entrees) including steak, pork chops, salmon, chicken and BBQ ribs ( prices are in the $14 range) with “Crashed Potatoes” as one of the sides.  The Victory Lap is the dessert menu.  A children’s menu is also available.   And from what we hear, the food is very good, not typical theme food. The original concept has been in business for more than three years.  Wedding packages are offered for those looking for a unique way to do the “big day.” Cakes, tuxes, bouquets, bride’s hairstyling and make-up, photos, and videos are available – everything needed to make that special day memorable. A “Driving Experience” is offered to top off wedding festivities.

 

 The owners of this “Shrine to Motorsports” are the Who’s Who of The Racing World:  Richard Petty (raced 1,185 events, won 200, placed second 158 times); Kyle Petty; Mario Andretti (IndyCar national champion four times, Formula One world champion, 12 Hours of Sebring endurance champ three  times); Michael Andretti (1991 PPG IndyCar World Series champ, 1991 Driver of the Year); Jeff Gordon (1994 Top Money Winner in NASCAR, won more than 600 events in open-wheel and NASCAR, 1995 and 1997 Winston Cup champ, first driver in NASCAR history to exceed $4 million in regular season winnings – $4,201,227 in 1997); Rusty Wallace (1989 Winston Cup champ, won at least one race each year for 13 years, IROC championship); John Force (seven-time NHRA Winston Funny Car champion, 1996 Driver of the Year); Don Prudhomme (49 NHRA races, first driver to win four straight Winston Series Funny Car championships, first Funny Car to break 250 mph); Ernie Irvan (298 career starts, 110 top-ten finishes and 68 top-five  1994  given only a 10 percent chance for survival); Scott Parker (flat track motorcycle racing, six Grand National titles, seven AMA national championships); Darrell Gwynn (driver in the NHRA “Top Fuels,” crash ended driving career, team owner); Dave Schultz (most successful motorcycle drag racer ever, 15 series championships, 140 victories in NHRA, IDBA and AMA Prostar competitons); Geoffrey Bodine (1982 Winston Cup “Rookie of the Year,” 1986 Daytona 500 winner, 1987 and 1992 Busch Clash winner, 1987 IROC champ).

 

Parent Company: 

Race Rock International, Inc.

 

For information about real estate locations or investments, the company prefers mailed submissions.  Sites are chosen by a committee.   Queries and submissions should be sent to the corporate address: Race Rock, Inc., 2491 Principal Row, Orlando, Florida 32837.  Investment and real estate questions and submissions (domestic and international) may also be sent by  e-mail to admin@racerock.com.   Visit the company’s home page at www.racerock.com.  To contact the restaurant, call 407-248-9876.