The owners of Scores sports bar in downtown Boston had some big shoes to fill. Formerly The Fours Restaurant & Sports Bar, the Massachusetts establishment has been the go-to bar for diehard Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots fans to gather on game days since 1976. Spanning 6,300 square feet, the bi-level venue still caters to that core clientele, however, in wanting to make the space more welcoming and exciting for the next generation of patrons, the owners of the newly christened Scores brought in Snap One dealer Rexx Home Systems to install several smart control systems during a huge technological retrofit.
“Sports always will be a huge part of our identity and as diehard fans, we would never want to change that,” says Scores General Manager Tyler Smith. “We want to be top-of-mind to everyone from our fellow Boston sports fanatics to groups looking for something fun to do on a Tuesday night.”
Rexx Home Systems Applies a Modern Spin to Scores Sports Bar Update
According to Snap One, Rexx Home Systems utilized a thoughtful 21st century approach to the addition of technology that would help the Scores management team achieve its goal while keeping the establishment’s original DNA intact with regards to the Boston sports scene.
Arguably, the most noticeable and appreciated update to Scores sports bar are the 32 digital displays occupying nearly every square inch of wall space. Carefully integrated into the building’s original exposed brick walls and millwork, and without detracting too much from priceless collections of sports memorabilia, the commercial-grade displays are a big draw for the new business.
“There isn’t a bad seat in the house,” says Jason Record, owner of Rexx Home Systems, the Maine-based tech integration firm that services the broader New England area, including Boston. “No matter where you sit, you can see multiple games.”
2024 Lighting Controls and Fixtures Report
Lightapalooza took place in late February, and the growth of the event has mirrored the rapid ascension lighting fixtures and controls.Download your copy now!
Rexx Home Systems points out the sheer number of displays in Scores sports bar alone ensures that patrons have a good view from anywhere in the facility. Screen sizes from 55 to 98 inches and the tilt mechanisms of the Strong mounts from Snap One were used to enhance the view of the displays. Rexx Home Systems also made sure patrons would never struggle to hear the game commentary. Fifty commercial-grade speakers and subwoofers installed inconspicuously within the ceiling blanket the bar to provide even dispersion throughout the venue.
Snap One emphasizes that stretching across the sports bar’s multiple levels, Scores required an expansive AV distribution system, as well as a simple way to manage and control the AV distribution system. To handle control duties, Rexx Home Systems installed Snap One’s Control4 automation platform, along with its Binary MoIP (Media over IP) system, Triad electronics and Control4 entertainment and automation controllers.
The customized and interoperable systems professionally installed by Rexx Home Systems distributes multiple streams of high-resolution audio and video from an array of sources to whichever TVs and speakers the on-duty Scores manager chooses.
The Scores sports bar system can be controlled via a Control4 smartphone app or a 10-inch Control4 wall-mounted touchscreen. Rexx Home Systems layered in Control4’s MultiDisplay Manager software to streamline the navigation process. Instead of scrolling through options, users refer to and select from a virtual layout of Scores’ AV sources, TVs and speakers.
“It’s so much more efficient than walking throughout the bar with an armload of remote controls,” says Smith. “We can get everything up and running just the way we like it in seconds,” comments Record. “Equally important, this mode of control lets Scores fine tune the AV distribution to the needs of its diverse customer base. “If someone is renting a section of Scores for a private party, for example, music and a slideshow on the 98-inch screen can play there while the rest of the facility stays engrossed in the sports action.”
Automated lighting scenes enhance the sports bar’s ambiance. The Control4 user interface makes adjusting the light fixtures across the space quick and easy. Snap One says the Integration of Scores sports bar’s lighting into the Control4 platform was relatively straightforward, accomplished by swapping the building’s existing wall switches for smart dimmers and switches from Control4 and some programming work.
From the same app or touchscreen that directs the flow of AV signals, as well as custom Control4 keypads, Scores managers can dim and brighten lights for any occasion, time of day, or customer preference. The same app or touchscreen provides single button control for lighting scenes, or whole scene execution for AV and lights.
Providing the backbone for Scores’ Wi-Fi access was another important component for customer satisfaction at Scores. To meet these requirements Rexx Home Systems installed multiple Araknis Wi-Fi access points and the company connected those access points to a Pakedge networking system from Snap One.
“No ordinary networking solution would be able to handle the heavy bandwidth demands of the many connected systems and support simultaneous Wi-Fi users,” notes Record. “The robustness of Snap One’s suite of products and the technical expertise of their service and support team ensured the proper transmission throughput, speed, and coverage was achieved.”
Scores sports bar’s networking system also enabled the creation of several independent VLans, one of which was assigned exclusively to the new batch of surveillance cameras and network video recorder (NVR) that now help to protect the property. Twenty-five Clare Controls surveillance cameras keep an eye on the sports bar with video footage recorded to a ClareVision NVR.
“Assigning cameras their own slice of the network helps maintain image clarity and doesn’t impact the clarity or reliability of the AV systems, control and lighting systems,” says Record.
To maintain the comfort of the bar, for both customers and employees, Scores’ HVAC air conditioning and heating system is integrated within the system. The HVAC system includes six thermostats, and the entire HVAC system can be controlled via the Control4 remote or app to support year-round convenient comfort.
Snap One boasts as the legacy of the 48-year-old Boston-based The Fours Restaurant & Sports Bar lives on through the Scores sports bar, patrons will experience a new era of sports entertainment enabled by a specifically curated, designed, and installed tech-based solution from Rexx Home Systems and the Snap One family of products.
“The tech update was substantial and the results speak for themselves. “Regulars and newcomers alike love what we’ve done with the space,” adds Smith. “It’s been an overnight success and a real boon to business.”
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!