CHICAGO -- No one could upstage Michael Jordan on the basketball court. But in the restaurant business, the retired superstar is being shoved aside by baseball's home run leader, Sammy Sosa.
In a move prompted by declining sales at Jordan's eatery -- blamed partly on a rift between Jordan and the restaurant's owners -- Michael Jordan's Restaurant will become Sammy Sosa's Restaurant, said H. Gene Silverberg, a controlling partner in both restaurant ventures.Jordan's eatery, just north of downtown Chicago, will not be put out of business but will be moved to a smaller, but higher-traffic location, said Silverberg. He said sales at the restaurant have slipped about 20 percent in past years, although it remains profitable.
"We need to move Michael closer to traffic; he's an international brand," said Silverberg.
He said the restaurant's initial popularity was "due to the fact that we had seen six championships, several MVPs and (Jordan) came in very often."
But that has changed in recent years, he said. Jordan apparently stopped eating at the restaurant after the owners rejected his ideas for making it more upscale, Silverberg said.
The switch is being made without Jordan's approval -- Silverberg said he doesn't need it. Jordan attorney Fred Sperling said, "Michael will respond in court, not through the media."
Unlike Jordan, Sosa will be required to make appearances.
And by all accounts, Sluggin' Sammy is ready to play ball. He donned a chef's hat at a news conference Thursday to announce the restaurant and even swung a 4-foot-long red fork -- Sosa swinging a fork is the restaurant's logo.
"No way would (Jordan) put on that hat," Silverberg said later. "Sammy is still playful, and we need that to make this work."
For his part, Sosa said he's going to consult with the chefs on the Spanish and American menu and has no problem putting in appearances at the eatery.
"I definitely (will be there); one reason I want to do this restaurant is to (thank) people from all over the world," said Sosa, who admits he can't cook. "I've never had a restaurant before. It's like a new car. People will see me there quite often."
Sosa said he had nothing to do with the decision to move the restaurant and called him "my hero."
"He's still the man in my heart," Sosa said. "I love Michael."
Food critics said the cuisine, basic "American comfort food," was nothing to write home about -- or go back for. And the atmosphere was reminiscent of Planet Hollywood, another celebrity-heavy theme restaurant that fell on hard times, said Penny Pollack, dining editor at Chicago Magazine.
"I don't think there is ever a reason to go back unless you had an out-of-town guest who really needed to go there," Pollack said.