By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

What has long been rumored is now official regarding the primary restaurant and sports bar inside the newly christened Sheraton Hotel in Niagara Falls.

Michael DiCienzo, vice president of Canadian Niagara Hotels, said the Old Falls Street Sports Bar is being renovated and will change over to a T.G.I.Friday's restaurant and sports bar. The new operation  will make its debut in late June, he added.

"We considered a number of brands, but we think this works the best," DiCienzo said. "This fits best in terms of families staying at the hotel and those looking for a nice, casual place to eat."

Canadian Niagara Hotels, based in Niagara Falls, Ont., bought the former Crowne Plaza earlier this year. The 391-room hotel is the second-largest in Niagara Falls, N.Y., trailing only the 604-room hotel component of the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel.

Canadian Niagara Hotels also owns a Days Inn and Denny's near the Rainbow Bridge.

In Niagara Falls, Ont., the company has a portfolio of more than 2,500 hotel rooms - roughly 18 percent of the city's 14,000 hotel rooms. It also owns several restaurants and attractions.

The Old Falls Street Sports Bar will remain open during the conversion, according to DiCienzo.

"We will work around our customers," he said.

The switch to T.G.I.Friday's has been applauded by the Niagara Falls hospitality industry, including John Percy, president and CEO of Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp., who said it will be a people magnet.

"It is a brand name people know and respect," he said. "Having a T.G.I.Friday's is another step is changing the atmosphere and perception of downtown Niagara Falls."