Local eateries upgrade TVs

Sports fans watching the NCAA basketball games this week on Franklin Street can choose from not only a plethora of restaurants, but also a variety of televisions.

Top of the Hill Restaurant and Brewery, at 100 E. Franklin St., is not doing anything special for the games, but manager Guy Murphy said crowds will still come in.

Murphy’s confidence could stem from the restaurant’s mid-December installation of seven 30-inch TVs and one 9-foot projection screen — all of which have high-definition displays.

It is the first completely high-definition restaurant in the state.

“I think this may help us in becoming more of a place to watch the game,” Murphy said.

He said the restaurant has received positive feedback from both local and new customers since the change.

“About a month and a half ago, Michael Jordan was in for lunch,” he said. “That was the comment he made when he walked in: ‘Wow, you guys got new TVs.’”

Previously, the restaurant had only six regular televisions and a projection screen.

“The quality is much better,” said Matt Robbins, a Chapel Hill resident and Top of the Hill patron. “It’s easier to see from afar.”

The restaurant upgraded to keep up with changing trends and to better serve customers, Murphy said.

“Top of the Hill is very much ready for the future,” said Gary Kayye, designer and co-owner of Chapel Hill Home Theatre Design, the company that installed the new TVs.

The company also plans to revamp the Carolina Coffee Shop and the Chapel Hill Country Club.

High-definition TVs provide a resolution at four times the current national standard, Kayye said.

“In basketball games, you can see the expressions on the players’ faces,” he said. “In hockey games, you can see the puck. You can’t see the puck on regular television.”

Kayye’s company also equipped Top of the Hill with four high-definition TiVos, which allows the restaurant to record every UNC game, Murphy said. The restaurant replays home games right after the original broadcasts, as well as throughout the week.

“It’s kind of neat because we can replay the game right after (the fans) were at it,” he said.

Fans also can watch March Madness in high definition at the Carolina Brewery, at 460 W. Franklin St., which has two 46-inch plasma high-definition televisions and five regular televisions.

On Friday night, the restaurant will also have a “skybox” — a private viewing room limited to 40 people.

“It is open for reservations now,” said owner and operator Robert Poitras. “We do expect it to sell out.”

Basketball fans also can enjoy the games at other local restaurants and bars that don’t have high-definition TV. Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar, at 206 W. Franklin St., has 30 regular 32-inch televisions and four large screens, said general manager Michael Hayek.

Hams of Chapel Hill, at 310 W. Franklin St., and Woody’s Tar Heel Tavern Bar & Grill, at 175 E. Franklin St., also have several televisions that will be tuned in to the tournament.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.