Ex-UF coach Steve Spurrier’s new restaurant merges his football life and culinary palate

Former Florida football coach Steve Spurrier is trading his play-call sheets for menus.

Part restaurant part football museum, Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille promises to bring an “All-American” culinary experience to Celebration Pointe in Gainesville, according to their website. It’s set to open Fall 2020.

The 16,000-foot restaurant comes complete with three bars, an outdoor entertainment venue and displays with memorabilia from Spurrier’s storied career. Among the most prized items on exhibition will be the former Gator’s 1966 Heisman Trophy.

Offering an “elevated American-casual dining atmosphere,” the menu features some of the Head Ball Coach’s favorite foods, including avocado-topped burgers, seafood and deserts influenced by his wife Jerri’s recipes.

And just how did Spurrier get into the restaurant business? The coach credits his daughter Amy who said he needed a place to store his trophies, according to WCJB.

C. Isaiah Smalls II

Miami Herald

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C. Isaiah Smalls II is a sports and culture writer who covers the Miami Dolphins. In his previous capacity at the Miami Herald, he was the race and culture reporter who created The 44 Percent, a newsletter dedicated to the Black men who voted to incorporate the city of Miami. A graduate of both Morehouse College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Smalls previously worked for ESPN’s Andscape.