Beef 'O' Brady's to open in Perryville

Owners of the franchised Beef 'O' Brady's restaurant in Cape Girardeau hopes another Southeast Missouri town "really into their sports" will welcome a second location.

Lee Hillman, along with co-owners Robert McGillivray and Steve Tilley, plan to open a new Beef 'O' Brady's at 1418 W. St. Joseph St. in Perryville on May 4.

Hillman called the community an optimal location for an expansion of the business since the restaurant is within viewing distance of the city's popular soccer complex and park. The restaurant will be in a suite that was empty in a strip mall.

Over 200 Beef 'O' Brady's restaurants in 23 states make up a chain of franchised, family-oriented sports pubs, which are also recognized for community involvement through a variety of fundraising activities.

Hillman, a native of Kelso, Missouri, and McGillivray, from Sikeston, Missouri, opened the Cape Girardeau location at 1812 Carondelet Ave. in 2008, after Hillman decided to give the restaurant business a try. A visit to a Beef 'O' Brady's in Florida with his family helped him make the decision to open a local franchise.

Though the economy was on the cusp of a downturn and the recession followed, the restaurant made it through, Hillman said, in part because of the support of owners' family, friends and church associations.

Now, in starting a new location in Perryville, Hillman said he sees a great opportunity.

"I feel like it's just an untapped market with sports watchers," he said.

The restaurant will offer "brand-new everything," Hillman said, including more than 20 big-screen televisions. The restaurant also will be completely nonsmoking.

The menu will have a variety, from burgers, wings, pizza and salads to a full bar. The restaurant also serves Irish fare and green beer on St. Patrick's Day.

A Saturday morning fundraising event that has become widely used in Cape Girardeau by community groups will be offered at the Perryville location, Hillman said. Groups may host a pancake breakfast to benefit their cause. The restaurant also offers "spirit nights" on Mondays and Wednesdays, during which a portion of sales go toward charitable causes. Hillman said he anticipates the new restaurant will employ 40 to 50 full- and part-time employees, which is about the same number on the payroll in Cape Girardeau.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent address:

1418 W. St. Joseph St., Perryville, MO