Magic Marketplace – Basketball Great Earvin Johnson Teams With Sodexho To Develop Restaurant Concepts

MCall:

… Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson (photo) used to dominate the basketball court. Now, a local team of restaurant developers is helping him own the food court, too.

Sodexho USA’s Retail Brand Group, based in Trexlertown, is working with hoop legend Johnson to develop 3 restaurant concepts that will trade on Johnson‘s sports and business success.

Plans call for a sports bar, a sandwich shop and a Magic Johnson Marketplace food court, brand group officials said Thursday. The sports bar and the food court are new concepts, while the sub shop would be based on the group’s previously developed Subconnection sandwich-shop model.

‘The idea is not only to leverage Magic Johnson as an athlete, but also as a successful businessman who continues to do a lot for the communities he goes into,’ said Husein Kitabwalla, the group’s vice president of operations and brand development.

The Retail Brand Group has also developed ideas for merchandise to sell at the stores, such as autographed basketballs, officials said.