Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 11/06) - A new sports bar is scheduled to open on Franklin Avenue on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5.

Jose Locos owner Bob Ross is closing his Mexican restaurant on Jan. 14 to transform the business into an as yet unnamed sports bar.

Bob Ross is changing Jose Locos into a sports bar in time for Super Bowl Sunday. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

"Mexican is not working," Ross said. "It's time for a change."

The artwork and brightly-coloured masks that decorate the walls of the restaurant will be sold through a silent auction to make room for a sportier new look.

"This will be the place to come to watch sports in Yellowknife," he said.

Five satellite receivers, four TVs and two projection screen TVs will circle the room. Ross is also installing a flat screen TV above the urinals in the men's washroom and sound systems in both washrooms.

The room will be organized like a hockey rink, with boards around the walls and bar. The floor will be covered in acrylic blue ice painted with red and blue lines.

Signs and Designs will paint a mural depicting fans in the stands on the walls. The raised dining area will be formed into a replica of either the 14th hole at Augusta or the 18th hole at Pebble Beach, which Ross parred in 1996.

Staff and friends are doing most of the renovations. "It will cost me beer and wings, but I can deal with that," Ross said.

The staff will don referee uniforms after the bar opens. They'll serve items from a new menu. It will include a few Mexican items, as well as new finger foods and lunch items and a dinner menu featuring steak, rib, seafood and vegetarian dishes.

The restaurant employs three full-time and eight part-time staff. Ross is looking to add another three or four part-time and one full-time position. Jose Locos' farewell party will be held on Jan. 14.