Install Recap: Lakewood Tavern, Lake Elmo, MN

Peerless-AV® SmartMount® Solutions Chosen for TV Takeover at Lakewood Tavern Sports Bar

Lakewood Tavern, an American food and sports bar, has completed an all over TV installation at its new Lake Elmo, Minnesota location. The Tavern opened in March 2023 and is attracting customers as a place to gather and watch live sports of all kinds. Working with Innovative Sales Solutions (iSell Solutions), a global sales agency and consulting brand, and Key Digital Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of control solutions for residential and commercial businesses, Peerless-AV® was able to provide a custom support solution for this truly unique installation.

The goal of this installation was to maximize the viewing experience for all customers by installing multiple TVs around the venue. The solution not only needed to be easy to install with a high level of adjustability, but it had to provide easy access for servicing and maintenance. The large number of TVs presented a few challenges along the way and the restaurant had to address several building inspection considerations. 

LG 65", 75", and 86" displays were chosen for the project and used throughout the dining areas and corner cubby holes, supported by a combination of 15 Peerless-AV SmartMount® Universal Tilt Wall Mounts (ST650 and ST680) and Articulating Wall Mounts (SA771PU). Key to this installation was the large mounting plate and easy-glide display adaptors included with the tilt wall mount, which simplified the installation of the large flat panel displays. Another important feature was the mount’s horizontal display adjustment, which provided enough left to right movement to achieve the ideal viewing position – a must to avoid neck strain from long periods of watching live sports! 

For the displays located above the central bar, Peerless-AV’s SmartMount® Digital Menu Board Mounts (DS-MBZ647L) with Ceiling Menu Board Connectors (ACC-MBCR1) and Menu Board Wall Plate Accessory (ACC-MB0800) were used to create the perfect back-to-back digital menu board. This section consists of 10" x 65" displays (in two 4x1 configurations with two at each end). The install team chose this combination of mounts and accessories because they allow for a wider, seamless, and more impactful digital menu board surface and the displays can be tilted at the same angle with ease. This is exactly what the project called for, enabling customers to see sporting action from anywhere in the venue.

“It was a complex project simply because of the number of TVs to be installed,” commented John Peterson, VP Technology Sales at Innovative Sales Solutions. “To get as close to back-to-back as possible at the bar, we designed a customized solution that reduced the number of poles needed from the ceiling to make the digital menu board stable and give it a tighter looking finish. We also had to work with strict building inspection criteria. For example, the mount adaptor plate had to be raised all the way up to the building girder and be attached to Unistrut metal framing system for load bearing purposes.”

Innovative Sales Solutions and Peerless-AV have partnered for many years on multiple projects. “Every area of this project required high attention to detail, and we’re thrilled with how it looks. We couldn’t have completed such a flawless finish without the Peerless-AV mounting solutions,” added Peterson. 

Live sports channels stream to all the TVs thanks to Key Digital Systems who provided an AV over IP solution via Cat6 cabling. Eight streaming sources (including ComCast, Amazon, Apple, and MLB Channels on Hulu) are controlled using the KD-App on an iPad. The end result is a highly impressive sports bar that customers will enjoy for years to come. Every TV has been installed with a stunning finish, and the feedback from the Lakewood Tavern owners has been overwhelmingly positive.

“As soon as you walk into the space, you get the feeling that you are in a unique sports bar,” says Lakewood Tavern owners Tom, Lou, and Chris. “Now that we’ve been open a few months, the response has been fantastic, and there is a definite sports vibe. Using the iPad, we’re in full control. Customers can let us know what sports they want to watch. And we can select an individual TV or all TVs to display by hitting a button, whether it’s local, on cable, or a streaming platform. We are offering the ultimate in sports bar entertainment!”