The Cordish Companies and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Announce PBR Country Bar to Open at Waterside District in Norfolk, VA
The Cordish Companies and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Announce PBR Country Bar to Open at Waterside District in Norfolk, VA
Born from the toughest sport on dirt, the iconic PBR country bar will add a second Hampton Roads location this spring
Norfolk, VA (March 3, 2017) - The Cordish Companies and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) today announced a second PBR country bar in Hampton Roads at Waterside District in Norfolk, VA. This new PBR Norfolk country bar will join Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse and Blue Moon Taphouse in Waterside District, a new dining and entertainment destination located along downtown Norfolk’s waterfront. In addition to live music and entertainment, PBR Norfolk will feature a dance floor, private outdoor patio and the signature mechanical bull.
The announcement coincides with PBR’s Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour, competing in Hampton Roads on Saturday, March 4, at the Hampton Coliseum. The Velocity Tour is PBR’s premier expansion series and brings emerging professional bull riding talent alongside superstars of the sport to 25 cities across the U.S annually. This is the eighth time the PBR has visited Hampton and the fourth Velocity Tour event in the market.
Born from the toughest sport on dirt, PBR Norfolk country bar at Waterside District will celebrate a country-western theme. The soul of PBR country bars comes alive through its rich music traditions showcased by its Hot Country Night live concert series. PBR venues have welcomed some of the biggest names in country music, including Luke Bryan, Old Dominion and Justin Moore.
“The PBR country bar concept has been very successful and with a second Hampton Roads location opening will expand to 10 locations nationwide,” said Sean Gleason, CEO, PBR. “PBR country bars provide a strong daily brand presence for the sport in a fun, lifestyle venue where our fans can come out and release their inner cowboy. We are thrilled to expand our partnership with The Cordish Companies to bring our PBR country bar to the new Waterside District.”
The PBR announcement comes as excitement continues to build around the Waterside District opening in late April 2017. Waterside District will be a place where the community can come together with family and friends for entertainment, a full range of culinary options, nightlife and activities for all ages, including live music, festivals and more. Waterside District will be anchored by The Market, an eclectic and vibrant food hall featuring local and regional favorites such as Starr Hill, Rappahannock Oyster Co., Cogan’s Pizza and more. PBR Norfolk at Waterside District will honor local and visiting heroes by offering special discounts on the last Friday of each month for military (current and past), police, fire and emergency medical service (EMS) workers.
“The PBR country bar has been an energetic and fun venue at many Cordish Companies developments, and we’re eager to bring it to Waterside District,” stated Blake Cordish, Vice President of The Cordish Companies. “We are also proud to incorporate recognition of our active and retired military and other heroes as a part of the concept.”
With over 61 million fans across the United States, PBR is red hot, setting 13 local attendance records in 2016 and seeing television viewership for PBR on CBS Sports increasing 12 percent last year, with ratings second only to those of the NFL on several weekend days during 2016. Over the past five years, PBR on CBS viewership has grown 39 percent. PBR has also achieved significant growth in social media. In 2016, across major sports properties, PBR was ranked number one in fan engagement on Facebook, had the highest engagement rate on Twitter, and the highest growth rate on Instagram.