John Grimesey and his business partners are betting on the future of the Florida Keys while fulfilling a dream to be owners of a sports bar in Key West.

John, his wife Debbie, Alain Majeau, his wife Marcie Quintante and John’s in-laws, Larry and Suzanne Bertolini, are not deterred by the current economic crisis that has businesses cutting back on expenses, laying off employees, and closing doors. The family-and-friends partnership will open Grim’s Grill, a sports bar in Habana Plaza at Flagler and Kennedy, on June 5.

“Grim isn’t our outlook,” John Grimesey laughed as he looked toward the new banner with the grill’s name and slogan that hangs outside the building. “All through school everyone called me Grim. I guess Grimesey has too many syllables. So it’s been my nickname forever.”

John, Debbie, Alain, and Marcie have been active in the Key West service industry for years, and bring hands-on knowledge and work experience with them. Together they have more than 85-years in the restaurant-bar business. The partners have witnessed bars and restaurants fail and others succeed and believe they have a handle on what it will take to make Grim’s Grill successful.

John and Debbie have long record of being active in high school sports. Debbie coaches cross-country runners, and John is the defensive back and wide receiver coach for the high school’s football team.

“We also teach,” John adds as an after thought. “Debbie teaches English and I’ve been teaching American history for three years.”

John and Debbie will continue with their high school coaching responsibilities, but when the school year ends in June, the couple will leave teaching behind and focus their attention on Grim’s Grill. All the partners will be working shifts at the grill.

John, a native of Virginia, admits to wanting to own a sports bar since moving to Key West 18-years ago.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m a sports nut, we’re all sports enthusiasts,” he said with a grin that brightens his face and wrinkles his shaved head. “Even when I was a bartender at the Hog’s Breath, I used to put on the three-on-three basketball tournaments. I’ve always been a big supporter of high school sports. And look at this location,” he points across Flagler Avenue. “There are the city ball fields.”

The interior is still going through renovation, but the dark, partitioned walls of what was once Walter’s Grille are gone. Even with the windows papered over, the large room is now bright and welcoming.

“We removed the black ceiling tiles, the partitions, and added brighter ceiling lights,” John said. “We have 19 flat-screen TVs so we’ll be able to watch a lot of events.”

The TVs vary in size from 32-inches to 55-inches and there are no bad viewing seats in the grill’s dinning room or bar.

John expects serious sports fans in the New Town neighborhood to be regular customers and to help keep them happy even the restrooms have TVs.

The grill’s slogan is “Greatest Sports Bar of All Time.”

“It is said with tongue-in-cheek,” John explained between runs to Home Depot, “but it’s what we want to be and what our goal is.”

The grill’s owners and employees will continue to sponsor and support high school sports.

“We are sponsoring the May 29, high school spring football event and we aren’t even open yet,” John said as electricians put finishing touches on the TV set up over the bar. “We still care as much about supporting high school sports as we do about the events on our TVs.”

The Habana Plaza location once held a popular Cuban restaurant that moved from its long-time Duval Street location. In the late ‘90s, it became Bohemia, a restaurant that catered to Key West’s Easter Europeans. About two years ago, Walter’s opened in the location.

“We got a good deal, we were able to takeover Walter’s lease,” John said as he began to organize framed classic sports jerseys from Key West high school. Before the opening, the framed jerseys and other high school sports memorabilia will adorn the grill’s walls. “All of us have been involved in high school sports and we are collecting memorabilia like these jerseys and old photos to display.”

Anyone willing to share Key West sports memorabilia is welcome to bring it to the grill.

The kitchen’s gas lines have been updated, but other than a cleaning, the kitchen was in good shape, John said.

“We are going to do the sports bar menu, burgers, hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, but we are going to dress it up a little with fish tacos, Cuban-styled half roast chicken and George Mira’s conch fritters. I tracked George down because I wanted to have his fritters,” John said as he walked behind the bar. The bar’s mirrored back wall’s shelves are empty of liquor bottles today and the bar top held tools not coasters with glasses.

For 13 years “Big John,” as he was known to his regular customers, worked behind the outdoor bar at the Hog’s Breath Saloon, where he impressed locals and tourists with his sports-trivia knowledge.

“We’ve got it almost done,” John said, looking for piece of electrical hardware that was hiding on the bar top. “Some tweaking, some cleaning up of the dinning room and we’ll be ready for the public on June 5.”

Workers banged away in the background, while saws buzzed and drills whirled as we talked.

“We are going to need 20 employees to open,” John said, “and the amazing thing is that people have been coming to us because of word of mouth, we haven’t run one ad, and most of the positions are filled.”

Grim’s Grill will open at 11:30 a.m. on June 5 and will open daily after that from 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.