Former NFL Star Lance Briggs, Partners Closing Elk Grove Restaurant Venture

June 13, 2017 |  

Former National Football League star Lance Briggs announced today that his restaurant venture in his hometown of Elk Grove, Calif. will close their doors next week. 

Briggs, an all-pro linebacker with the NFL's Chicago Bears, and his partners made the announcement today on the restaurant's Facebook page that the Double Nickle Smokehouse restaurant will close on Monday, June 19. Briggs played for 12 seasons with the Bears after a collegiate career at Arizona and leading the Elk Grove High School Thundering Herd to a state football championship in 1999.

In their posting, the ownership group, which included Briggs' boyhood friend Cameron Lee, acknowledged community support over the last three years of operation saying they will always appreciate the support and kindness conveyed by patrons. They also thanked their staff and noted "owning a restaurant is a 24-hour a day experience, and we couldn’t have picked a nicer group of people to spend our time with."

The Double Nickel opened on September 1, 2014 at the Strikes Bowling Alley in a 11,000-square-foot space space previously occupied by Coaches Bar and Grill. Although the restaurant opening received considerable attention based on Briggs' star power, the establishment had mixed reviews by Yelp critics. 

The statement also hinted that the group may have another foray in the restaurant business saying "we hope to again open something using the lessons that have been learned and ask for your support as we will work to gain your patronage."