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Interactive sports simulators, a menu elevated by fine-dining chefs and a hidden luxury suite that opens via a sliding Heisman trophy — these are just some of the features inside Pleasanton’s new restaurant and event venue: Pivot Craft Kitchen and Sports Bar.
Owned by Jim McDonnell, who also owns Sabio on Main in downtown Pleasanton, the longtime Pleasanton resident said the space will not only bring the look and feel of a big-time sports stadium to the Tri-Valley, but it will also offer residents and visitors of the region a unique gathering space for company parties, celebrations and other special occasions.
“I just want it to be an amenity for the community,” McDonnell told the Pleasanton Weekly during a tour of the space the week before its opening.
The business is set for a soft opening Thursday (Jan. 15) with just the bar area offering its full menu and drinks to the public. McDonnell said the opening of the main dining room and luxury suites, which includes two Topgolf suites, will be phased out over the next couple of months.
A Microsoft employee with an entrepreneurial background, McDonnell said he’s been a lifelong fan of good food, sports and the Tri-Valley, which is why years ago he joined Visit Tri-Valley, the destination marketing organization for Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin and Danville.
He said one of the reasons he first joined the Visit Tri-Valley board is because he feels like the region is underappreciated. From its amazing wine country and natural beauty, to a robust technology community and proximity to the rest of the Bay Area, McDonnell said the region has a lot to offer.
However, one thing he said the Tri-Valley lacks is event spaces.
When the former general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton hotel in the Hacienda Business Park first told McDonnell about FAZ Restaurants and Catering closing and showed him the empty space almost four years ago, he and founding chef and partner Francis Hogan — the head chef at Sabio on Main — decided a sports bar would be a perfect fit.
“We’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of Pivot Craft Kitchen and Sports Bar — not just for locals, who are going to love this unique new spot, but for visitors as well,” Robin Fahr, vice president of marketing and communications at Visit Tri-Valley, told the Weekly.
“Pivot is the kind of place that instantly becomes a must-visit,” Fahr added. “With its location at the Four Points by Sheraton Pleasanton, right next to several hotels and with easy access to BART and I-580/680, it’s a natural gathering place for visitors, especially those coming to the Bay Area for the Big Game in February and FIFA this summer.”
Located at 5121 Hopyard Road, the 11,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and event space is connected to the Four Points hotel. McDonnell said he appreciated this set up because — in addition to providing potential customers — the hotel had just gone through a full renovation and now offers one of the largest event spaces in the Tri-Valley on the second floor where his restaurant can provide catering.
“I think we’re bringing something unique to the community,” McDonnell said.
With a broadcast booth at the entrance and a tunnel similar to those that football players run through before stepping on the field, the space is also decked out with sports memorabilia of various teams because one of the main things McDonnell said he wanted to do is recreate an authentic stadium experience.
In keeping with the sports bar motif, Pivot offers luxury suites similar to the ones you would find in a stadium where guests can rent out the room and have watch parties for their sports teams or have other casual corporate or family events.
One of the more unique aspects of Pivot’s suites is the one that mimics the owners box stadium suite, which is hidden behind a secret cabinet that is opened by a sliding mechanism disguised as a Heisman trophy.
McDonnell also said a lot of attention will be put toward the food because he is essentially offering a sports bar menu but with a fine-dining twist. For example, McDonnell said the chicken wings will take three days to prepare, the sauces will be made from scratch and the mozzarella sticks will be hand-breaded.
“There’s a very, very high attention to detail,” he said. “It’ll look like a sports bar menu but it will taste a lot more elevated.”
Pivot also offers two Topgolf suites that feature sports simulators where people can throw a football, kick a soccer ball, or put a golf ball into screens that calculate the distance. These Topgolf screens will come with several settings for different sports and at least four games specifically designed for kids.
According to McDonnell, the Topgolf suites won’t be available for a couple of weeks after the soft opening. The restaurant will also have outdoor lounge seating and firepits, which McDonnell said he expects to open by spring.
“Pivot brings something fresh and exciting to Pleasanton, giving residents and visitors a new reason to come out, stay longer, and enjoy our city,” Yianna Theodorou, who was just promoted to President/CEO of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, told the Weekly. “The team has done an incredible job creating a dynamic, welcoming space, and concepts like this play an important role in supporting our local economy.”
McDonnell said he also plans on dedicating a wall at the restaurant to Tri-Valley high school sports where he will feature different local teams on a rotating basis
“One of the things that we really believe in, that’s very important for our restaurant, is (being) deeply invested in the community,” he said. “So, certainly, high school athletics is one that we want to be very invested in, both in terms of supporting those but also illustrating the teams.”
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