Alice Cooper’s Restaurant Feeling the Pinch of NBA Lockout

Were it not for the ongoing NBA lockout, the Phoenix Suns would have hosted the L.A. Lakers on Nov. 4. This would have been good news for Arizona sports fans and even better news for Alice Cooper, whose Cooperstown theme restaurant would have brought in roughly $10,000, Phoenix's ABC15 reports.

Located next door to the US Airways Arena, home of the Suns, Cooper's eatery has been hard hit by the NBA's labor drama, which shows no sign of letting up. According to manager Ryan Rowland, the Hard Rock Cafe-style restaurant could lose $500,000 if the entire season is scrapped.

"No matter how prepared we are, no matter how much money we sock away, we're still losing a tremendous amount," Rowland told the station. "We'll keep the doors open but it's going to hurt. We're going to notice it. It's not a joke."

Given that the NBA Players Association is preparing to file an antitrust lawsuit against the league, Cooperstown's prospects don't look good. The restaurant opened in 1998, and while it still does steady business over the spring and summer, when supporters of baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks filter in from the nearby Chase Field, it's a long way from now to pitchers and catchers.

Employees are hoping the US Airways Arena will book more concerts and special events to help compensate for the loss of business.

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