Walk-On’s schedules November opening
Sports fans will soon have new place to watch games and enjoy Louisiana cuisine.
Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, offering a gameday menu with a taste of Louisiana, is coming to Tatterstall Park, the new development on Alabama 119 just off U.S. 280.
Groundbreaking on the location took place in February and opening is scheduled for Nov. 4, just in time for the Alabama vs. LSU game.
Dating back over 30 years, the franchise was the idea of two walk-ons on the 1997 LSU basketball team. After visiting numerous sports restaurants across the country, Brandon Landry and Jack Warner decided to open their own in Baton Rouge. In 2003, the first Walk-On’s location opened near LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
The company continued to grow over the years and got a boost when New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined the company as a co-owner in 2015.
Matt Roth of Geaux Route Partners franchise group is the local franchise owner of the Hoover location, with co-owners with familiar names including Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson, PGA golfer and Vestavia Hills native Smylie Kaufman and local real estate agent Adam Baxter. According to Roth, they have been instrumental during the process.
Roth knew Birmingham is a sports-crazy town and Walk-On’s would be a great fit for the area. The upcoming location will be the 32nd for the franchise, and there are around 100 locations currently under development. Other locations in the state include Mobile, which is already open, and Montgomery, which will open in August. Several more are planned around the greater Birmingham area.
Signature Louisiana dishes of gumbo, etouffee and red beans and rice are popular items on the menu, which is broken into thirds to include bar food like burgers and wings and a heart-healthy portion that features grilled fish and salads.
“All of our food is created at a commissary in Baton Rouge and all the stores get the exact same recipe,” Roth said. “We are a scratch kitchen, and as long as we keep serving good food, people will keep coming back.”
Roth says from the outside looking into the restaurant, it resembles walking into a stadium. The space is open, there are televisions around the bar similar to a jumbotron and black iron supports the metalwork on the multi-level restaurant.
“You feel like you’re at a sporting event,” he said. “Our employees even have a rumble before every shift to get them into the right attitude for a busy day. We want to make sure the culture from our Louisiana locations is in each restaurant.”
Roth said the city of Hoover was ready for this location and have been great to work with during this process.
“They had everything prepared and it’s been a great relationship working with city of Hoover,” he said.
The new location will employ about 200 people and feature indoor and outdoor dining in an 8,500-square-foot space with indoor and outdoor games and a pet friendly patio. Hiring will begin Aug. 1 and information will be provided on their Facebook page at facebook.com/WalkOnsHoover.