MURRELLS INLET — Angela Anthony and Eric Richter have both been widowed, but they've found love again— in each other and in their shared dream of opening a sports bar.
Gator Zone Sports Bar and Grille emerged from the couple’s desire to bring a bar to Murrells Inlet that offered the same atmosphere as those found in the couple's home state of New Jersey.
"We just weren't getting that vibe of a true sports bar," Richter said.
They hope Gator Zone, which opens Feb. 22, will fill the void.
Finding a space big enough for the open layout they envisioned was a challenge, Richter said. They wanted a free-standing building rather than a space in a strip mall. Eventually, they found a match in the former home of Voodoo Brewing.
The size and layout of the bar have allowed for 30 televisions, a golf simulator room, video darts and Golden Tee, a golf arcade game. It will offer multiple sports streaming packages to satisfy almost every type of fan, Richter said.
Customers can stand practically anywhere in the bar and still watch their desired sports event, he said. Plus, each room will have an individual audio source, allowing the sound from one TV to be broadcast into any of the rooms.
"We're trying to appeal to everybody who has sports in their blood," he said.
Gator Zone will also have an expansive food and drink menu. Anthony’s family has been in the restaurant industry for 40 years, and she’s spent a lot of time in kitchens. At 10 years old, she started washing dishes and peeling potatoes.
"Learning the true meaning of hard work," she said.
The restaurant will serve bar favorites such as pub pretzels, nachos and chicken wings, as well as a variety of burgers, sandwiches, seafood dishes, salads, desserts and numerous pizza options.
Richter said they have connections with pizzerias that have helped them create pies close to those found in the Garden State.
"It's tough to duplicate, but we're hopeful that we have the right people and we're using the right ingredients to make it memorable," he said.
Although the restaurant concept draws inspiration from their home state, they knew they wanted to honor Murrells Inlet by naming the bar after one of the area’s iconic reptiles.
Initially, they considered calling the bar “Master Gator” but decided against it. Instead, Master Gator has become a nickname for Richter.
"He’s the master gator because his creativity has been shining through this whole process … so that’s me telling Eric his work is shining," Anthony said.
It’s also the name of one of Gator Zone’s cocktails. It contains Malibu rum, pineapple juice and Blue Curacao.
Gator Zone will have eight additional cocktails, six wine options and 24 beer taps. A dozen taps are reserved for the most popular domestic beers and about a dozen more are for local beers from Grand Strand Brewing, New South Brewing, Tidal Creek and others.
Richter said there’s a natural anxiety that comes with opening a new restaurant, but he hopes customers will feel at home there.
“We're hoping that we have just a little bit of a uniqueness to us where, you know … they put us on their social calendar for one of their favorite places to go,” he said.