ESPN Zone knew that consumers understood the chain of restaurant/bars was built with sports fans in mind. It wasn't so sure they were sinking their teeth into the restaurants' gastronomic expertise.

So ESPN Zone turned to New York City-based Dan Klores Communications in late 2002 to develop a PR/event program that would run throughout 2003 and beyond. It challenged DKC, which has handled its PR duties since 1998, to bring its food to the media's table.

DKC responded by developing on-site Team Cooking Classes, which is a market -to-market PR program designed to showcase ESPN Zone's culinary skills by teaming its chefs with local professional sports figures.

Essentially, chefs at ESPN Zones instruct pro players on proper cooking techniques and ideas on eating healthy diets. Some events, via PowerPoint presentations, teach players the proper way to cut and clean food - even before they get behind the stove.

To date, DKC and the marketing managers at four of ESPN Zone's eight locations have held Team Cooking Classes. The cooking classes showcase the players in a different environment and give the public a new perspective on their town's favorite athletes.

The first event was held in late 2002 in Chicago; the most recent occurred in March in Las Vegas. In between, there have been events in New York and Washington, D.C.

In Chicago, DKC teamed ESPN Zone chefs with seven Chicago Bears rookies; in New York, with 20 Giants, including rookie star Jeremy Shockey; in D.C., with five Wizards; and in Las Vegas, with the Gladiators of the AFL.

DKC works with each team's PR per. son to assist with player participation. Once the firm lines up the players,. chefs and dates, it sends out advisories and press releases to the local media.

When DKC thinks a specific event shows the potential for national coverage, the firm broadens its media outreach. For the Chicago event, DKC went after and secured media coverage from Chef Magazine; in New York, the Associated Press food writer attended.

DKC does not limit its pitches to sports reporters. In fact, it targets other media, particularly food, entertainment and lifestyle reporters, more assertively.

For this campaign, DKC wanted feature articles, which is exactly what it got in a 700-word piece accompanied by three photos in The Washington Post.

The DKC team trains and coaches the chefs on how to interact with the media and what talking points to convey during interviews. DKC said it wants the players to have fun and be spontaneous.

That eventually could backfire, however, if a player isn't fully aware of the program's goal of conveying to consumers the restaurants' culinary expertise.

To date, the campaign has secured 60 million media impressions, which includes print, Internet and broadcast coverage from the outlets mentioned above as well as the New York Post and WABCTV in New York, the Las Vegas Sun, "NBA Inside Stuff," WGN-TV in Chicago, WJLA-TV in Washington and others.

DKC plans to coordinate Team Cooking Class events throughout the spring and summer for such teams as the Colorado Avalanche, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves and Anaheim Angels.

According to the firm, the entire New York Giants team has expressed an interest in a rookies vs. veterans cook-off for next season, with celebrity media judges.

Perhaps they could get American Idol's Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Check, please.

Wayne Henninger (whenniger@sportsbusinessjournal.com) is a PR professional and writer in Washington, D.C.