04 Nov 51 Sports Café: Cagayan de Oro’s First and Only Sports Bar/Café Goes on Soft Opening
“If you speak sports, you are in the right place.” Finally, Cagayan de Oro has a real sports bar or sports café. 51 Sports Café finally opened its doors to the public (on a soft opening basis) last October 28, 2016.
Image Source | Facebook: 51 Sports Cafe
The sports bar and café is located at the second floor of the Fem’s Building at the corner of Yacapin and Pres. E. Aguinaldo Streets (the former Vines Pension House). If you spot the Four Café on the first floor, then go right up. 51 Sports Café opened with a simple blessing and prayers.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
Once inside, customers will soon notice the television sets spread out across the place. There are 12 television sets all in all: 6 in the general floor area, 2 in the bar area, 3 in the verandah, and 1 in the function room.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
The walls are decorated with a few sports decors, a large mural of Manny Pacquiao, and paintings of Lebron James (in a Cleveland uniform, good thing) and boxer Nonito Donaire.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
The verandah is more for those who prefer the outside air, and is decorated in the style of the Greco-Roman sports era, structured in the tradition of the Roman Empire sports tabernae (pub) or cauponae (tavern bar). It has an old chariot wheel, a couple of Greek athletic statues, and a torch bearing Greek wall decor.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
A “pissing Greek Adonis” boy decorates the comfort room section, styled from the more familiar Manneken Pis boy statue from Brussels, Belgium.
Image Source | Facebook: 51 Sports Cafe
The function room can sit from 15 to 20 persons and can be utilized for watching requested sports events or reruns, since it houses the bar’s largest television screen.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
It’s also a cool place to hold business meetings or small sports parties, birthdays, or just about any occasion you can think of.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
51 Sports Café is owned and operated by Mr. Iries “Boyet” Saavedra. According to Boyet, he first conceived the idea of a sports bar when he visited his “barkada” in Manila and was brought to one of the big sports bar there. On his return to CDO, and after circuiting the bars around the city, Boyet discovered that the city didn’t have a single sports bar.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
Based on his research and discussions with his barkada who had experiences with sports bars outside CDO, a sports bar – or in this case, a sports café – is where sports fans or sports enthusiasts go to watch games on large-screen televisions.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
It’s also a place where sports enthusiasts go to discuss about their favorite sports. Generally, though, it’s a place where just about anybody can go to enjoy good food and have a drink.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
For non-sports enthusiasts, it can just be a hang out since people can just sit back, eat, drink, and relax while gawking at the television sets. Boyet has made sure that he has all the major sports channels from two cable TV providers covered to become a legitimate sports café.
Photo Credit: Christopher Arce and Khoki Saavedra
For its first event, 51 Sports Café will be opening early on November 6, Sunday, at 9:00 a.m. for the Pacquiao and Donaire Fights. Entrance is only P100 (non-consumable).
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