We're Building the Place We Wished Existed
OUR STORY
The Place to Be started with a simple feeling — that the things we love about sports, food, and being together shouldn't live in separate corners. So we're creating a place where they don't.
Meet The Starting Lineup
THE FOUNDERS
A father who raised his son on sports, good food, and the kind of nights where nobody wants to leave. They're turning that energy into something real — starting with pop-up events and building toward a permanent home.
Quintin Babaie
PRESIDENT & CEO
"'The Place To Be" is a sports entertainment hub I co-founded with my father — a singular venue merging a sports bar, eatery, and collectibles shop into one cohesive experience. Having spent years in academia as a Philosophy Professor, I am stepping away from the classroom to dedicate myself fully to this pursuit — a testament to how deeply I believe in its potential. As a lifelong sports enthusiast my passions are few but fervent: my family, philosophy, and the San Antonio Spurs.”
“For over 35 years, collecting sports cards, memorabilia, and jerseys was my passion — long before it was ever a business. Alongside my wife Lorry, we built a family of four: Drake, Quintin, Sterling, and McKenzie, weathering every storm and celebrating every triumph together. After 26 dedicated years with AT&T, retirement gave me the space to ask — what's next? The answer had been with me all along. What began as a hobby slowly became a vision, and with my son Quintin by my side, that vision became "The Place To Be.’”
Alix Babaie
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
The idea for The Place to Be didn't come from a business plan. It came from a feeling. Alex and Quintin kept finding themselves in the same situation — at a restaurant that had great food but no culture, or at a sports bar that had screens but no soul, or at a card show that had the collectibles but nowhere to sit down and enjoy the moment.
They wanted a place where you could pull up a chair, order something worth eating, and spend an afternoon going through a case of vintage cards with a friend — or a stranger who becomes one. A place where a Tuesday night feels as alive as game day. Where an athlete signing isn't a rushed assembly line but a real experience.
That vision is what The Place to Be is all about. Right now, it lives through pop-up events — curated gatherings where the food, the drinks, the collectibles, and the people all come together. Each event is a proof of concept for something bigger: a permanent destination where sports culture is at its best because people come together to enjoy it, not just watch it from a distance. That's what they're building toward.
HOW IT STARTED
“We kept saying someone should build this. Then we realized we were the ones who should.”
The Team
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Michael Davis
Jada Cadena
DIRECTOR OF EVENTS
What Makes This Different
THE VISION
There are plenty of places to eat. Plenty of places to watch a game. Plenty of places to buy and sell cards. But there's almost nowhere that weaves all of it together into a single experience that feels intentional.
That's what The Place to Be is — a concept and a community where food, drink, sport, and collecting aren't separate activities.
They're part of the same conversation, the same night, the same table. It starts with our events. Where it goes from here is what makes this exciting.
Culture First
We lead with the culture of sport — the stories, the artifacts, the people — not just the scores.
Built for Gathering
Every detail — the food, the layout, the events — is designed to bring people closer together, not just closer to a screen.
Always Something Happening
Pop-ups, athlete collabs, merch drops, watch parties. The Place to Be is a living thing — not a static concept.
Accessible, Not Exclusive
Whether you're a lifelong collector or someone who just wants a good meal in a great atmosphere, you belong here.
COME SEE FOR YOURSELF
Pull Up a Chair
We're just getting started — and the best way to understand The Place to Be is to show up. Check out our next event or follow along as we build this thing.