The University of Texas has always claimed to be a global brand and nothing says global like the opening of a Longhorns-themed bar in Karachi, Pakistan.
Shanil Ali, a 25-year-old Texas alum and native of Karachi, opened the "Longhorn Sports Bar" as an homage to his alma mater and as a place for Longhorn fans in Pakistan (which could be in the 10s) to go watch football and basketball games and enjoy the Tex-Mex dishes they had while in Austin.
"I attended UT-Austin and I became a fan of their basketball and American football team," Ali told Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune. "After a while, I became a typical 'Longhorn' and wanted to share their lifestyle and their love for sports."
The appeal of a sports bar in Pakistan isn't that far-fetched. Texas boasts students from all over the world, who often move back to their native countries to live and work. It's no different than a UT grad in upstate New York wanting a place to catch the game with his Longhorn brethren.
While the sports bar doubles as a nightclub, it embraces Texas' burnt orange and white colors in fluorescent lights. The Longhorn logo is displayed prominently while Ali also champions his native sports of soccer and cricket.
The menu is an eclectic mix of Tex-Mex favorites and tradition Pakistani food. Several of the menu items are named after Texas football and basketball players, but Ali also gave a shout out to his favorite athletes with the "Steve Nash Texan Beef Burger" and the "Maradona Royal Bacon Burger." And no, neither played at UT.
The bar also offers live music and Xbox and PlayStation games.
You have to think the advance of the Longhorn Network will make this place - or other places around the world - successful because it will be able to show Texas-related sports content 24 hours a day. The only problem will be trying to get people into the bar for live events because of the 11-hour time difference, especially if the Longhorns play afternoon games in the United States.
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