Frankie’s Sports Bar & Grill relaunched and rebranded

Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill has relaunched following its refurbishment which included a rebranding of the bar and an extension of its menu. The new concept was created by Roy Westwood and Nick Leith-Smith from design firm Forward Associates. The project designer was Katharine Kiss, who is part of the interiors team and they worked closely with Chelsea Football Club and Levy Restaurants UK to develop the new brand and identity. The presence of the bar has been elevated through a solid marble top and brass detailing and helps blur the boundary between the bar and restaurant. The building’s features have been enhanced and the glazed area at the entrance which receives natural light is now contrasted with the rear of the bar, where the lighting is dim. The idea behind this was to allow the bar and grill to “harmoniously” transition between night and day settings. With 16 big screens show different sports in different parts of the world, alongside rare sports memorabilia. The bar has been made the new focal point of the room with a marble bull-nose top on a 20-metre metallic truss, made from brass angles and mesh with six brass pendants. To create movement similar to that on the pitch, the wall panelling is a series of vertical layered grey painted panels and “seemingly random” positioned brass accent strips. Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill’s food offer has been extended and now offers balsamic-marinated flat-iron steak, BBQ glazed baby back ribs and miso salmon fillet. Nick Leith-Smith, lead architect at Forward Associates, said: “The design reinterprets the existing sports bar. The truss design used for the frontage of the bar nods to the engineering of the adjacent stadium, while the addition of wall panelling pays homage to the traditional sports club.” Roy Westwood, the creative head at Forward Associates, added: “This is a grown-up sports bar and grill. The clean bright interior, statement bar and hidden depths create a drinking and dining destination with serious substance to go with the style.” Simon Hunter, head of venue and development at Chelsea FC, added: “We’re delighted to reopen Frankie’s Sports Bar and Grill following a full refurbishment of the dining space and bar, in time for the World Cup. As well as being open all year-round to sports fans, the onsite bar and restaurant is available for private hire for corporate events or for family and friends to gather.”