10 Things You Didn't Know About WCW's Nitro Grill Restaurant

10. How Much It Cost To Open

WCW Nitro Grill
WWE

The Nitro Grill was a co-concocted idea between WCW and the Mandalay Resort Group. Both parties agreed to open a wrestling-themed restaurant in 1998, and agreed on March or April '99 as the ideal opening date. That didn't happen; Nitro Grill officially opened doors on 17 May 1999.

It cost $2m.

Yes, the project would end up costing WCW almost as much as Vincent Kennedy McMahon paid to buy the remains of their entire company less than two years later. There's something sad about that, but it does show how two million dollars was pretty much chump change to WCW in 1999.

Ignore any claims that they were a fading giant by that point. WCW weren't - they were hopeful of reclaiming top spot in the wrestling industry (at least domestically in North America), and having a successful business in Las Vegas' plush Excalibur Hotel & Casino complex would help with that.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.