Renovation: Joe Theismann’s Restaurant is Making Way for a Joe Theismann Trophy Room!
And yes, there will be a replica of the Lombardi Trophy on display.
Alexandria, VA – Joe Theismann’s Restaurant is going back to its roots, so to speak. The restaurant, which is owned by former Washington Redskins Quarterback Joe Theismann and Alexandria Restaurant Partners recently sold off a lot of its sports memorabilia, like giant photos of surfers and polo matches. Now, why would they do such a thing?
Simply, Theismann’s is bringing Joe Theismann back to the restaurant by converting a rear dining room into a memorabilia/trophy room! The new dining room will include a replica of the Lombardi Trophy that Theismann and the team won in Super Bowl XVII, great pictures, and his original jerseys from his earliest playing days all the way up to the National Football League.
Scott Shaw, a partner in Alexandria Restaurant Group, was on-hand at the auction on Tuesday, July 23. All proceeds went to Theismann’s favorite harity
“We want to recognize Joe Theismann and other Washington, D.C. sports teams, so we’re auctioning off these photos of rugby players and polo players and water skiers. No offense to those athletes, but we want to focus on baseball, basketball, football, and hockey,” Shaw said. “And we’re upgrading the entire restaurant in a rolling renovation.”
That $1.5 million rolling renovation includes doubling the size of the bar to 40 seats, making the bar an island, and replacing all of the furniture, fixtures, and flooring.
Theismann, who spends half his time living in Memphis, Tenn., opened Theismann’s Restaurant and Bar in Old Town in 1975 – a year after joining the Washington Redskins as its quarterback. Theismann took the team to the Super Bowl twice, winning once, and played for the Redskins throughout his NFL career until retiring in 1985. He was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 1983, played in two Pro Bowls, threw or ran in 160 touchdowns, and passed for more than 25,000 yards.
“We’re setting up Theismann’s to be around for another 35 years,” Shaw said.
Theismann’s Restaurant is planning to wrap up the renovations and host a party for the public in mid-to-late September.
