Hotshots ‘gourmet bar food' opens Thursday

Hotshots sports bar and grill will open Thursday at 15 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau in the former Breakaways building. Next week is a soft opening, with a grand opening celebration planned for January, said owner Michael Hess.

Breakaways closed in July so Hess and his crew could work to renovate the interior, double the size of the kitchen, relocate the bar and add more seating.

Sixteen flat-screen televisions have been added. "We'll have all the games on all the time," Hess said.

Hotshots will also offer a much broader menu than Breakaways, including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. Hess described it as "gourmet bar food."

Darts, pool tables, football and arcade games are also in the new Hotshots.

This is the first Hotshots franchise outside of the St. Louis area, where there are nine locations. The Cape Girardeau Hotshots is the only one that is independently owned, Hess said.

While Breakaways had just four employees, Hess now has a staff of 24 for Hotshots.

"In this economy, it feels pretty good to be able to provide employment for people," he said.

Hess opened Breakaways in October 2000 and purchased the building, originally built in 1896, two years later. In 2009, Hess embarked on a renovation project to bring the exterior of the building back to its original facade.

In 2010 he won two awards for his efforts: the John Boardman Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation Award from Old Town Cape and the Missouri Main Street Connection Best Facade Rehabilitation Over $10,000.

* Double D BBQ has opened at 1923 N. Kingshighway, Suite 3, featuring Traeger grills, Smokin' Brothers Grills, wood pellets and accessories, in addition to teak wood furniture. Owners David and Doris Eftink have been Traeger Grill distributors for seven years and have set up dealers in six states. They also operate a Double D BBQ location in Sikeston, Mo. "This year we decided to make our own wood pellet grill," said David Eftink, of the Smokin' Brothers Grill. The Smokin' Brothers BBQ team, which includes David Eftink's son, Ryan Eftink, and his son-in-law, Craig Crawford, took first place in ribs this year in the Cape BBQ Fest. Ryan Eftink and his brother Adam Eftink work in new product and dealer development at Double D BBQ. The new store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit www.DoubleDBBQ.com.

* Cape Air has opened a new ticket office in downtown Cape Girardeau at 420 Broadway. The goal of the new location is to offer potential passengers an opportunity to interact personally with a reservations agent, said Trish Lorino, director of marketing for Cape Air. "Customers can always book online at capeair.com or via phone, but we like providing the option for that one-on-one assistance to someone making flight reservations," Lorino said. The ticket office is also a way to support economic development in the community, she said. Cape Air offers four flights daily from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to St. Louis' Lambert International Airport.

* Isle of Capri will hold a beam signing event from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Boardman Pavilion at the Hutson's Fine Furniture parking lot on Main Street. It's a steelworkers' tradition that the last piece of steel to be erected on a building project is a symbol of good luck, marked by a ceremony in which a steel beam carries an evergreen tree to the structure's highest point. The last steel beam is often signed by the workers before being hoisted to its resting spot, but Isle is offering this opportunity to local residents. Grover Mays Construction of Anna, Ill., is doing the steel work at the casino site. Keeping with the holiday spirit, holiday carolers will be on hand to entertain folks. Hot chocolate and coffee will be available as well. The Southeast Missouri Food Bank will have a collection truck on hand for those willing to donate nonperishable food items.

* Grass Roots BMW Motorcycles has added the Husqvarna franchise to its business. Owner Herb Anderson has owned the exclusively BMW franchise since 1983. Husqvarna's bikes are well-known in off-road and motocross communities, Anderson said. Grass Roots BMW Husqvarna sponsors the Grass Roots Racing Team at Sky High MX Park near Old Appleton. The first two Husqvarna bikes, called Husky's for short, were purchased by father and son, Kevin and Hunter Teegarden.

* El Torito Mexican Restaurant, 1740 Broadway, has closed permanently, said building owner Dong Cai. The building is now available for lease.

* Rick and Tyler Cuba have launched a newly designed website for the Cuba Financial Group of First Allied Securities Inc. Cuba Financial Group partnered with Element 74 in Cape Girardeau to design the new site. It is located at www.cubafinancialgroup.com.

* Big River Telephone Co. has expanded its InConnect service to Perryville, Mo. InConnect, Big River's new digital voice and high-speed Internet service, is already available to commercial customers in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Farmington and Sikeston.

Southeast Missourian business editor Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com