Alex Meruelo: From pizza parlors to owning the Atlanta Hawks
Alex Meruelo. (Photo courtesy of the Meruelo Group.)
The man who’s buying the Atlanta Hawks played basketball himself — at Don Bosco Technical Institute, a Catholic high school in Rosemead, Calif. Alex Meruelo became a starter for the Tigers as a junior, whereupon vocational opportunity intervened.
“My father gave me the chance to run my own business,” Meruelo said, speaking on a conference call with two AJC writers. “He had a bridal-and-tuxedo business. He leased the tuxedo part to me.”
That was it for his hoops career. (Couldn’t stay for practice when there were groomsmen to be measured.) Thirty-two years later, it’s no longer an either/or consideration. Alex Meruelo has made a bunch of money, having gone from renting out cummerbunds to building a chain of Southern California eateries — La Pizza Loca — to owning a TV station in Los Angeles to buying a hotel and casino in Reno. And now the entrepreneur is about to diversify into basketball.
“This is more than a dream for me,” Meruelo said. “It’s like when you think, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice?’ ”
Those four words — “Wouldn’t it be nice?” — were the title of the opening track on the greatest album (”Pet Sounds”) released by that California success story we know as the Beach Boys. Alex Meruelo has his own California story, and it’s downright harmonic, too. The son of Cuban immigrants, he stands to be the first Hispanic owner of an NBA franchise.
“I’m a person who doesn’t give up,” Meruelo said. “I want to bring a championship to the city of Atlanta.”
To date, Meruelo has had only a passing relationship with our town. (”I’ve been through the airport a couple of times,” he said.) Should the NBA approve this sale, that stands to change. His teenage children have checked out Atlanta houses via the Internet. He won’t abandon Los Angeles — the Meruelo Group is too rooted for that — but he and his family will commute.
We cannot know whether Meruelo will be an upgrade on the current ownership, but we can say this: He’s not apt to wind up suing himself. Although some of the men who comprise the many-headed Atlanta Spirit will remain as minority partners, Meruelo leaves no doubt as to the buck’s point of stoppage. “I will be in complete control of the team,” he said.
Beyond that, Meruelo can’t say much about his plans for the Hawks. The NBA doesn’t allow prospective owners to comment on personnel, and even if it did the lockout has imposed a league-wide silence. Throughout the half-hour conference call, Ruben Gonzalez, the Meruelo Group’s vice president for external affairs, would gently interrupt with reminders that a particular subject was “beyond the scope of our discussion.”
What did come through was Meruelo’s enthusiasm. He claims to love basketball without being a wonk: “I couldn’t name every single player on every single team.” He didn’t grow up a Hawks’ fan. (Born in New York, he followed the Knicks and the Jets and the Mets even after the family moved to California.) He goes to Dodgers and Angels games but prefers basketball. He has inquired — so discreetly as to have called no attention to himself — about buying other NBA teams.
Regarding the Hawks, he knows whispers of a Mystery Buyer have been circulating. The mystery at its end, Meruelo said: “I wasn’t trying to be coy. I just didn’t want my name to circulate until I had something certain.”
Here he said to his audience of two: “You guys know Atlanta and cover Atlanta. I wanted to talk to you. I owe you that respect.”
An owner who respects his constituency? That’s a concept this city should embrace. It has worked for Arthur Blank and his Falcons. Liberty Media, by way of conspicuous contrast, has made no effort to endear its Colorado-based self to the folks who actually buy Braves tickets. But you don’t turn one La Pizza Loca into a string of 50 by ignoring your customers, and the hope/guess is that Meruelo will connect with those who’ve soured on what has become, on the record, a pretty good NBA club.
“I’m 1,000 percent an Atlanta Hawks fan,” Meruelo said, and soon enough he figures to be leading them. And for those asking if he should be taken seriously … well, he wants this team badly enough to buy it when the league is locked out. Takes some guts, wouldn’t you say?
By Mark Bradley
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204 comments Add your comment
blazerdawg
August 7th, 2011
11:07 am
censured or banned?
blazerdawg
August 7th, 2011
11:09 am
back on again, I guess – Welcome to Atlanta, Mr. Meruelo! We need a center. See you at Philips – whenever.
ryan
August 7th, 2011
11:15 am
Will Hawks fans get free pizza’s at the games .
david
August 7th, 2011
11:16 am
This is a non-story if the NBA does not have a season, and it looks like they will not be one. The Hawks could move to San Diego, Anaheim, Vegas, or Seattle in a few years. Lease can be broken as we have seen teams in all sports move from major cities. Who would have thought the Sonics would move from Seattle to OKC ten years ago?
mgfind.com | Blog | New Hawks Owner Alex Meruelo: 'I Want To Bring A Championship To Atlanta'
August 7th, 2011
11:16 am
[...] a Associated Press reported California’s Alex Meruelo as a new owners of a Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Mark Bradley dropped a review with a male [...]
Sautee
August 7th, 2011
11:16 am
Too bad for all the Horford haters. Maybe the blogs can discuss something different now.
railman311
August 7th, 2011
11:19 am
what a bad investment …..wrong team left town
Barley Corn
August 7th, 2011
11:20 am
Only idiots like Bradley believe the “no, absolutely not” remark about moving the Hawks. Things change, Markey. He means no, absolutely not [right now]. Not when he legally can’t move the Hawks. But, to reiterate, things change. When he CAN move the Hawks, he WILL.
Dave
August 7th, 2011
11:20 am
I googled his name and got this info
His net worth is $14.5 billion as of 2007, making him the 18th richest man in
America. … Alex Meruelo is a Los Angeles area property developer. …
I hope he buys the Braves next we need a fat cat owner with deep pockets.
mike
August 7th, 2011
11:21 am
Very exciting
ryan
August 7th, 2011
11:24 am
That is awesome he is worth 14.5 billion Dwight Howard come on down .
5150 UOAD
August 7th, 2011
11:29 am
Would that many people care if the Hawks and the Thrashers leave Atlanta?
Football is the new America’s Past Time and the Braves were the first Pro team here.
Make the NBA a 3-on-3 tournament with 15 minute games. Hold it in Vegas in two months and be done until next season. You could have something like 300 teams at the start. Winning team gets like 10 million and down from there for the top 50or so teams. Make it pay per view and only people that care have to see it.
JSS
August 7th, 2011
11:33 am
Quasi Drive by Hawks Blog because so many non-Hawks cynics and wannabe fathers of a mule are commenting on the matter.
If he can make me forget the three following things: Arthur Blank, Time-Warner, and the Atlanta Spirit Group; then I will be forever grateful… Good luck to you if can get the team…
Nativebird
August 7th, 2011
11:33 am
Alas, GRRRREAT move for the Hawks! There should be a law mandating that all Professional sports franchises should be owned (at least majority) by a single individual or family. LIBERTY MEDIA wake up! Your baseball franchise will never get to the next level until you’re out of the picture. Who the heck buys a sports franchise to make money? NO BODY. that ridiculous! Sports franchises are about passion….not R.O.I.
Nativebird
August 7th, 2011
11:34 am
Great move!
mountain_jim
August 7th, 2011
11:42 am
Good news and that’s step 1.
step 2: get a labor agreement for next season
step3: FIRE SUND!
Kanarstead
August 7th, 2011
11:43 am
“His net worth is $14.5 billion as of 2007″
Because of the Bush economic meltdown in 2008 his net worth is probably down to a mere $500 million, expensive free agents are unlikely.
smyrnabob
August 7th, 2011
11:44 am
Good luck to the new guy.
Firing Sund sounds pretty silly. If you look at the players he brought in while handcuffed, he did a very good job. Hopefully the new CBA will allow franchises like Atlanta to compete. The present system requires teams to take 7 to 10 years to rebuild. You get sorry, make a few lottery picks, wait for those players to develop, and then hope you win a championship before your top players leave for free agency. A few misses like leaving Paul on the board, or wasting a number 5 pick on Sheldon Williams means you may have to start the whole cycle over again.
Basically this new owner needs to make the Hawks the team the top free agents want to join.
CONservative Johnson
August 7th, 2011
11:48 am
Alex Meruelo is not who the $14.5 billion is referring to. Try again. We would all like to know.
I was excited at first, but now he’s starting to sound too much like Herman Cain LMAO . . .
1929 again
August 7th, 2011
11:51 am
After tomorrow this guy won’t have any money, just like all you 401k holders.
It was a great run America, but paying for a government on credit cards, instead of taxes, has to end sometime.
tom
August 7th, 2011
11:52 am
any owner whose first words include “championship” are fine by me
A-town
August 7th, 2011
11:57 am
Maybe this guy not being a billionaire will actually be healthy for the team. His finances indicate that he cannot afford to lose out with the hawks- meaning that a lot of his focus and attention will be going to making this team a success!
CONservative Johnson
August 7th, 2011
11:58 am
A-town, that or he’ll be selling in the near future and/or going bankrupt like the Dodgers . . .
Joe Johnson: Report: Hawks sold to LA entrepreneur – Rotoworld.com | 1st Capital Finance...Today!
August 7th, 2011
12:00 pm
[...] a process which could take a months, so it's unlikely to become 'official' any …Alex Meruelo: From pizza parlors to owning the Atlanta HawksAtlanta Journal Constitution (blog)all 285 news [...]
tim
August 7th, 2011
12:04 pm
Mr Meruelo……if you like M Vick you don’t get a penney of my money. In your 1st interview…..you seem to have stuck your pepperoni in your mouth.
MaxxHawk
August 7th, 2011
12:04 pm
Great article Mark. Seems like this guy made a lot of money and wanted a new toy. Hopefully he actually is willing to sacrifice and do what it takes to get an NBA championship. None of this really will be relevant until the NBA ends its lockout in 2013
Benjamin
August 7th, 2011
12:05 pm
I do have to admit, sonicsgate.org was the first thing I thought of when seeing that he was from southern California.
ryan
August 7th, 2011
12:06 pm
I don’t care what the negative people on here say anyone is better than ASG welcome to Atlanta Mr. Meruelo .
Reggie Ball
August 7th, 2011
12:16 pm
Too bad we’re stuck with the Hawks instead of the Thrashers.
We were bamboozled.....
August 7th, 2011
12:19 pm
I’d give the chances of the Hawks moving to L.A. at ZERO. The Maloofs are more likely to move the Kings to Anaheim than would the Hawks. There’s no way the NBA puts a third team in the L.A. area as it is. L.A. is overwhelmingly Lakers Country and Lakers Country is a significant chunk of the Southwestern US (Which would also make it tough for any NBA team that might move to Las Vegas.). Besides there’s not many markets that a team could move to and potentially be successful.
We’ve all been conditioned as the result of Atlanta Spirit to not believe sports owners in this town. Just because the owner is not local doesn’t mean they’re going to move the team closer to them. Remember, parts of ASG were from the Washington/Baltimore area and Steve Belkin was from Boston. Just because they sold one asset to someone who moved them doesn’t mean its’ going to happen again.
Gwinnett Fred
August 7th, 2011
12:26 pm
No surprise they were sold.
I know they would be the sold about 4 months ago – the instant the ASG said they were NOT going to sell them!!
The scumbag ASG group is nothing if not consistent.
Matt from MN
August 7th, 2011
12:27 pm
“No, absolutely not” about moving the team?? I hate to say it, but we heard the same thing about the Thrashers being sold/moved before and look where we are now. But, I’ll give Mr. Meruelo the benefit of the doubt for now.
ryan
August 7th, 2011
12:30 pm
I bet if was a local person the negative people still would not happy most of you guys keep saying i want a new owner now that we have one your still not happy you got rid of the ASG you should be excited we got rid of a terrible group not be negative .
Matt from MN
August 7th, 2011
12:40 pm
My comment from around 12:20 is in the filter.
juice sourcer
August 7th, 2011
12:42 pm
And as a side benefit this restaurant owner will bring good food to Phillips instead of the overpriced slop they serve.
Thrashers Season Ticket Holder
August 7th, 2011
12:49 pm
I’m sure La Pizza Loca is nice and all, but it will never be better than TED’S MONTANA GRILL.
I hate the Hawks
August 7th, 2011
12:49 pm
How many of the Hawks know Spanish? Probably none, but they better learn. I would rather the team move to LA!
SAL
August 7th, 2011
12:54 pm
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Former hockey fan
August 7th, 2011
12:55 pm
Clearly the hatred of ASG is underestimated. As long as ASG or any of it’s members have an interest I will not go to Philips. The new owner needs to understand that ASG needs to be taken out 100%. Who can stomach those idiots court side smiling for the cameras.
Rod
August 7th, 2011
1:04 pm
I hope SUND is gone and he blows up the enitre roster. Keep Al Horford.
Time
August 7th, 2011
1:07 pm
Great news for the Hawks I think. A real person owning the team, not a group or corporation. One that has played and loves basketball. A buck stops here guy.
And no people, the team is not going to LA. I think they’re pretty much contractually bound by their lease on Phillips to stay there for another 10 years or so.
You Stole My Money and Took Away My Thrashers
August 7th, 2011
1:07 pm
I didn’t think someone could hate an ownership group more than this…
Gold Digging Blonde
August 7th, 2011
1:11 pm
Is he single?
heartofdarkness
August 7th, 2011
1:15 pm
Good luck, jefe! If the NBA negotiations follow the NFL’s, you will see more “superstars” absorbing a greater portion of the team salary, surrounded by a supporting cast of rookies and journeymen. Think “hollowing out”.
kreedham
August 7th, 2011
1:26 pm
Welcome to Atlanta Alex! As far as the Braves go, Stan Kasten left as President of the Nationals several months ago. Wouldn ‘t be surprised if he was putting together a group to buy the Braves!
DirtyBraveHawk
August 7th, 2011
1:27 pm
Good God, some of you people find negativity in the sun rising. Give the dude a chance. Stop automatically assuming he will move the team or will bankrupt the team. Since 2005, most Hawks fans have begged for an owner like this, young, with total control and a visionary. We finally got it and all I’m reading is paranoia. Get over yourselves. Welcome to Atlanta, Mr. Meruelo. I’m looking forward to this new regime.
Former hockey fan
August 7th, 2011
1:32 pm
If he isn’t buying 100% then either he didn’t want to pay the price for the whole team or gearon and levenson still want to be owners. Either scenario is not good. Get ready to see gear on and levenson court side congratulating each other. I will not return until they are gone 100%
DirtyBraveHawk
August 7th, 2011
1:34 pm
And here come the bitter Thrashers fan comments…Really? Look, Hockey is not a viable sport in Atlanta. Point blank period. Many teams have minority partners with a majority, sole decision-making owner. This will be nothing new. Don’t let your bitterness get in the way of sanity…
playmeortrademe
August 7th, 2011
1:45 pm
Hope he’s a patient man…He’s handicapped by J-J-J-Joe Johnson’s m-m-m-ax contract. The Hawks will have to deal Horford soon or left holding the bag when he becomes a free agent because he is long gone, and Smith will never live up to his potential because of the space between his ears. Teague may work out but who is he going to feed the ball to?
Thanks to ASG, the Hawks will wallow in mediocrity for a couple or three more years as a mid-level playoff seed, so they won’t be able to build in the draft. Sund has not shown me anything as far as building a team. Soon we’re back to the early 2000s Hawks playing in front of friends and family at Philips.
Eric Lindros
August 7th, 2011
1:45 pm
I see the 6 Thrashers fans in the city have found this blog. IM sorry your team is gone but dont just crap on the hawks. Theyve been here since both the flames and thrashers have left. And I agree ASG is garbage. But welcome to Atlanta Alex and lets get Phillips loud again in regular season games.