February 27 , 2006

Official Fan Restaurants Announced for 2007 NCAA® Men's Final Four®

While the teams playing in the 2007 NCAA Men's Final Four won't be known for several weeks, the restaurants that will serve as the official fan gathering restaurants are being announced today by the Atlanta Local Organizing Committee (ALOC).  The more than 75,000 fans, local alumni and Atlanta residents will be able to enjoy the camaraderie of cheering on their favorites at the following restaurants:  Azio Downtown will host fans of the Midwest Region team, Dailey's will host the West Region, Max Lager's American Grill & Brewery will be home to fans of the East Region, and Pittypat's Porch will host fans of the South Region team.

"Each of these great Downtown restaurants will be the 'place to be' for fans to meet or reunite with fellow alumni, family, old friends and locals all in support of their most beloved team, as they try for their shining moment at the Final Four," said Anna Slive, executive director for the ALOC. 

Within walking distance of the Georgia Dome and Centennial Olympic Park, each restaurant is known for their specialties and will be offering kid-friendly options as well.  Azio Downtown, at 229 Peachtree Street in the Peachtree Center, has a contemporary approach to Italian cuisine in a fun, casual atmosphere.  Dailey's Restaurant, at 17 Andrew Young International Blvd., features comfortable American cuisine, including steak, seafood and pasta, along with a full service bar.   Max Lager's, located at 320 Peachtree Street, is Georgia's oldest independent brewery restaurant, serving burgers, salads, pasta and wood-fired pizzas.  And Pittypat's Porch, 25 Andrew Young International Blvd., is one of Atlanta's oldest restaurants, opening in 1967, and specializing in Southern fare.

"Final Four weekend promises to be action-packed for fans, whether or not they have tickets to the games.  There will be non-stop entertainment between the interactive fan festival, Hoop City, and all the events scheduled in Centennial Olympic Park.  Visitors to the fan gathering restaurants will be able to enjoy great food, and then walk all over downtown for added fun."  added Slive. 

For a complete listing of Final Four events visit www.atlanta.net/finalfour/events.

About the NCAA

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 380,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities.  Each year, more than 49,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports.  Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaasports.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions - Cingular, Coca-Cola and Pontiac - and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners - DiGiorno, Enterprise, The Hartford, Lowe's and State Farm.