Breakaways to become sports bar in September

After nearly 11 years of hosting local and touring bands, pool and dart leagues and thousands of partygoers, the bartenders at Breakaways in downtown Cape Girardeau will yell out their final "last call" Saturday night.

Breakaways is closing and will reopen in mid-September as HotShots Sports Bar & Grill.

HotShots is based in St. Louis and has nine locations in the metro area. The Cape Girardeau location will be the first outside St. Louis.

Mike Hess opened Breakaways in October 2000 and purchased the building two years later. Originally, there was a partnership, which dissolved, leaving Hess and his wife, Amy, to run the business.

Breakaways became one of the favorite stops for local and touring bands in downtown Cape Girardeau. From local staples like Drivin' Rain, Ninth Life and Headley Grange to touring acts like Steve Ewing, the Justin Ross Band and Lojic, Breakaways always provided a home away from home.

"Driving all the way to Cape from Fort Worth was one hell of a haul, but as soon as we dropped into town, we were welcomed at Breakaways," Justin Ross said. "For us, playing there was just like playing one of our regular Texas spots; great crowd, great owners and good times."

Hess said that aside from the concerts, there have been other memorable moments, too.

"The HOG Rally definitely was one of the biggest events for us," said Hess, referring to the 2005 event.

"Another thing that was very cool was when the filming of 'Killshot' was going on, and Johnny Knoxville came in to the bar and hung out. ... It was nice having a celebrity come in that didn't do bodily harm to anyone," Hess said with a smile.

Hess said the recent renovation to Breakaways was a highlight in its history and a key in getting HotShots interested.

"The customers stayed loyal to who we are, and we saw the great things that happened with the building," Hess said. "Being involved with the downtown community and Old Town Cape has been a highlight; we've been blessed to be embraced by the community. Tying in the whole historic preservation and the facade renovation with the downtown area, that played a huge factor in attracting HotShots."

Hess looks back on the last 11 years with a smile, but is concentrating on the next 10 years, and hopes that this sense of community and local support will continue with the change to HotShots.

"We've been offered a different kind of opportunity with a different kind of business," Hess said," but we're not 'selling out' and moving on. I think Cape will love it; it's bigger and better than what Breakaways could be.

"We'll be doubling the size of the kitchen, relocating the bar and adding more table seating, but we'll still have pool tables and dart boards," Hess said. "It's going to be a sporting sports bar venue; you'll be able to watch every NFL game, full-time kitchen and bar, and friendly service."

Hess partnered with a longtime friend Mark Hulett to buy the franchise. Hulett said Breakaways' size was right in line with what HotShots looks for, and brought Dan Volmert and one of his partners to town to see the potential. Volmert is the founder and principal owner of the nine St. Louis area locations.

"They've been down a couple times, and on the last trip we got the OK to get the wheels turning," Hulett said.

Many of the Breakaways employees will remain at work, including bartender Brandon Fish.

"I think it's a great opportunity for me, going into an actual career," Fish said. "We're keeping the same staff. Mike is retaining ownership. It's really going to be a Cape Girardeau place ran by Cape Girardeau people."

Hess is looking forward to the change.

"It's going to be a sports bar, but we hope that it's a hangout place versus an entertainment place," Hess said. "I'm thankful for the last 10, and can't be more excited about the next 10. I'm proud of what we've accomplished, and hope to continue to make it better."