Waukesha bar Club 400 brings live fantasy football to fans

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A historic bar in Waukesha is trying something high-tech to keep patrons coming back. Club 400 is making fantasy football more rewarding for fans.

Live fantasy football

How it works:

On Sundays, Laurel Studer-Welk puts on her green and gold and cheers for her favorite team.

"Jordan Love – I wish him all the luck," Studer-Welk said. "I hope he can get us jumpstarted and have a great season."

But this game day was different. Studer-Welk and her friends watched the Packers-Jets game glued to their phones.

"Then you pick the team…no idea why it picked New Orleans and Baltimore" bar patron Rick Dorshorst said.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

This month, Waukesha’s Club 400 started offering live fantasy football during NFL games.

"Pick a team or a game and get awarded a player – drafted a player, basically, and the better that player does, the better your reward is during or at the end of the game," co-owner Cesar Dorantes said.

Dorantes says Club 400 partnered with Wisconsin start-up On Premise Sports for games. So far, Club 400 is the only venue in the state using the technology.

"We’re willing to try almost anything to differentiate ourselves and give the patrons more fun and value for their dollar," Dorantes said.

Dorantes bought the bar in 2021 during the pandemic and says recent rising operating costs have squeezed profits. The bar itself is nearly 80 years old. It was previously owned by the family of Waukesha’s own, Les Paul. The inventor of the electric guitar, Paul also played here as his fame skyrocketed in the 1940s and 1950s.

"10 Points you get a free Cherry Bomb…15 points a Busch…" Dorshorst said.

As patrons play along with their fantasy teams, they earn rewards. Dorantes says the goal is to keep them in their barstools longer and incentivize them to come back for games they wouldn’t normally follow. The hope is that will help boost the bottom line.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

"It changes how you watch the game – not just watching the game – you’re rooting maybe for field goals instead of touchdowns because you’ve got the kicker," Dorantes said.

The bar synonymous with a music pioneer now has a man trying new ways to evolve game days. If successful, Club 400 may expand to offer the fantasy leagues in other sports, like college football or NBA games.

Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

NewsSportsWaukesha