This Hockey Star's Theme Restaurant Will Serve (What Else?) Puck Burgers

Orange County is getting a new restaurant that honors both hockey and casual food. Former, longtime Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne is opening up a new counter service dining experience that will embrace the game in its menu. Known as The Penalty Box, the 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and Olympic Gold medalist’s new spot will focus on offering more casual options that lean creatively and cleverly into the athlete’s NHL roots. Expect to see menu options like "pucks" (a blend of short rib, sirloin and Wagyu beef burgers), both Kobe and all-beef hot dogs aptly titled “sticks,” as well as "twigs," otherwise called fries. The eatery will also serve up draft and bottled sodas, house-made ice cream blended shakes and a few “secret” items.

The concept is slated to open in the soon-to-be-completed Garden Grove SteelCraft container park, an unconventional food hall featuring communal seating and restaurants housed in a series of cargo containers. The Penalty Box will have its own 40-by-8-foot cube, alongside Beachwood Brewing Company, Renegade Taco, and Honey and Butter Macarons. The new casual restaurant is Selanne’s second foray into the dining business, with his first being the upscale and well reviewed Selanne Steak Tavern in Laguna Beach. The Tavern’s chef, Josh Severson, will be responsible for the menu at The Penalty Box, a place where Selanne’s fellow hockey players are as welcome as the game’s fans.

According to Selanne’s business partner Kevin Pratt, the opportunity for their latest culinary endeavor was a thing of chance, with a dash of influence from the Tavern.

“A friend of mine worked with SteelCraft’s founder Kim Gros, which is how we all met,” Pratt told The Orange County Register. “We looked at the project and liked the idea of an open-air, communal dining experience. The burger concept was inspired by the popularity of our Flash Burger at Selanne Steak Tavern.”

The Penalty Box is scheduled to open for business this fall.