Scoreboard leans into history as neighborhood bar

Tom Murphy stands in front of the bar at Scoreboard Bar & Grille, which he and his business partners recently bought and renovated.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

AGAWAM — Same name, new owners.

Scoreboard Bar & Grille, a sports bar at 15 King St., is under new ownership, but co-owner Tom Murphy said longtime patrons will be happily surprised by the new interior and comfortable neighborhood bar feel.

Murphy said he and his business partners, Daniel and Timothy Dineen, knew the previous owner. Both the business and building were up for auction, along with the equipment and the all-alcohol beverage license. Murphy said the bar fit well with the other businesses in their portfolio, so the trio decided to buy it.

Another establishment owned by Murphy and the Dineens, Murphy’s Pub, is just two miles away from Scoreboard. Murphy does not see the businesses as competition, though. While Murphy’s Pub has somewhat unexpectedly grown into a busy restaurant, he said Scoreboard will be “something quainter: a local, neighborhood bar.” Murphy said the businesses will attract different clientele. While people come from “all over,” eat and drink at Murphy’s Pub, he said the patrons at Scoreboard are local to north Agawam and West Springfield.

Being located on the border between the towns and having a “strong West Springfield following,” led Murphy to have a sign made that will keep the score of the annual Thanksgiving football game between Agawam and West Springfield high schools. Murphy proudly said it was the oldest rivalry in Western Massachusetts.

While on auction, the bar was advertised as turnkey, but that was not the experience Murphy and the Dineens had after purchasing it.

“The renovation was extensive,” Murphy said. “We went down to the studs almost.”

The bar was rebuilt in same footprint as its predecessor, but Murphy said they were able to create more walking room around it. The owners removed a faux fireplace that had been a central feature of the bar. Behind it, they found a small room. The extra space allowed them to build accessible restrooms. They also included an accessible entrance at the opposite corner of the building from the main door. Gone is the old white paint, exposing the ceiling’s hardwood beams. Several televisions mounted along all four of the walls, each tuned to a different game, means no one can mistake Scoreboard for anything but a sports bar.

“I think people will be surprised by the update,” Murphy said. “It’s clean, it’s bright, it’s inviting.”

In keeping with the neighborhood feel, Murphy said they tried to keep the prices affordable, which was a challenge. However, a minimal menu helped. And if people get really hungry, he said, there is a full-service restaurant not far away — at Murphy’s Pub.