The 1990s Sports Bar Restaurant Chain That Defined Game Days

Before craft cocktails invaded every corner bar and chains like Buffalo Wild Wings dominated the game day dining scene, there was Champps. A restaurant chain with a great customer service that ran on sheer sports-viewing volume and deep fryer oil. Game day was its religion, burgers were its gospel, and the only rule was to shout louder than the table next to you. You did not go there for culinary enlightenment. You went to eat something that dripped, watch someone score, and feel like part of a crowd that cared too much about third downs.

In 1984, Champps opened its doors as a restaurant called Concourse 7 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a state home to a handful of professional sports teams. After making several changes, including one to its name, it hit its stride in the 1990s, when sports fandom was not yet filtered through hashtags. The first location combined the atmosphere of a sports bar with the layout of a casual dining restaurant, a mix that quickly caught on. By the 1990s, Champps had expanded nationally under the parent company Champps Entertainment, Inc., and was eventually acquired by Fox & Hound Restaurant Group in 2007. Every location looked like an ESPN set had exploded — neon beer signs, wood paneling, and more TVs than sense. The air smelled like wings, victory, and mild regret. Bartenders moved like athletes, waiters carried trays like trophies, and nobody left hungry. 

To put it simply, Champps was a restaurant chain that served as cultural glue for sports fans. Everyone from accountants to linebackers belonged in the same room. The beer was cold, the fries were hot, and the soundtrack was a perfect blend of Metallica and crowd noise. Unfortunately, the once-beloved game day spot isn't so hot anymore.

The century changed, and so did our appetites. Champps, with its booming sound systems and calorie-heavy plates, suddenly looked like the loud uncle at the family barbecue. Demand increased for things like double truffle aioli and locally sourced greens. Champps still had nachos the size of small cities and desserts built for three, but the restaurant chain that once defined Saturday nights could not quite fit into a world with shifting dining standards and game day parties fueled by food delivery.

Champps struggled to modernize and faced increasing competition from casual-dining chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's, which adapted faster to changing consumer habits. After years of declining sales, Champps filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013 and again in 2016 before shuttering most of its 60-plus locations. As of 2025, only a few Champps remain open. Locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York operate independently or under local ownership, still serving up classic game day fare, from wings to potato skins.

Its energy, once its greatest strength, fell out of step. Yet, mention Champps to anyone who spent their teenage years in its booths, and their face will probably light up like a neon Bud Light sign. Champps did not curate an experience; it hosted one colored by bar stools that squeaked, TVs that hung at impossible angles, and laughter that drowned out the play-by-play. Champps was messy, loud, and full of life, exactly what every game day still needs.