The Rock Sports Bar & Grill is located at 7 Tompkins St, Cortland, NY 13045. (Photo Source: The Cortland Voice).
A new sports-themed restaurant recently opened its doors in the city of Cortland.
The Rock Sports Bar & Grill, located at 7 Tompkins Street in the city, opened to the public on Jan. 22. The restaurant is owned by Eric Cook, a McGraw native who has lived in Cortland County his “whole life.”
A Class of 2000 graduate of McGraw High School, Cook is a local entrepreneur.
“All I do is work,” he said. Cook noted he picked up the work ethic from his parents.
“We were a hard-working, middle-class family,” he added.
As for The Rock Sports Bar & Grill, Cook said he opened a sports-themed restaurant as “something I wanted for myself.” The hours of operation for the restaurant are 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. each on Friday and Saturday.
“It’s a place where you can come and watch sports, eat food and have some drinks, and enjoy it in a 100% family atmosphere,” he added.
“The Rock” name for the sports bar derived from when Cook’s father lived in Kansas in the early 2000s. The restaurant includes 42 televisions, and sports memorabilia on all of the walls. One of the walls in the restaurants is dedicated to NBA legend Michael Jordan, Cook’s favorite basketball player.
Cook mentioned that his restaurant is “not a bar.” He added that while there is a bar in the restaurant, it’s a place where “I’d bring my family here.”
Cook gave advice to those who are looking to open their own restaurant or start their own business.
“Ultimately, just work hard and follow your passion,” he said. “Nothing can hold back hard work and that’s what it is. It doesn’t necessarily take a college education to be successful.”
