Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux has shared more detail on the streamlined restaurant prototype it first announced in August, outlining a smaller format designed to give franchisees more flexibility while keeping the chain's full menu and sports-bar atmosphere intact.
The first store built to the new design is scheduled to open early next year at 8150 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
A smaller footprint
The format is described as a "next-generation sports bar model" and was designed by Madrid-based restaurant design firm Livit. It targets stores of 3,500 to 4,500 square feet, compared with the 7,000 to 8,000-plus square feet of a traditional Walk-On's location. The Baton Rouge store is approximately 3,688 square feet and will seat 125 guests. Renderings of the concept were supplied by Livit.
According to the company, the smaller footprint is intended to help operators maximize space, improve operations and create a more engaging guest experience.
Kitchen and front-of-house changes
In the back of house, the prototype adds equipment including new clamshell griddles, among other additions. Walk-On's says these changes aim to simplify training, improve consistency and reduce ticket times without sacrificing the ability to serve the chain's full menu.
Out front, the bar stays at the center of the restaurant, using a peninsula-style configuration that can adapt to different layouts. Pickup cubbies near the hostess stand are designed to fill off-premise orders without disrupting the flow of restaurant service.
A flexible "kit of parts"
Rather than relying on one fixed layout, the new design is built as a flexible "kit of parts," allowing franchisees to select or add key elements based on market, site and personal preference.
The prototype builds on lessons from Walk-On's existing restaurants, including its 3,700-square-foot location at The Battery in Atlanta. According to the company, The Battery showed that Walk-On's can successfully deliver its full menu and sports-bar experience in a more compact, inline format. The brand says it is applying those learnings to a purpose-built prototype designed to give franchisees more options.
"We wanted to rethink what the Walk-On's experience can look like without losing what makes us Walk-On's," said Brandon Landry, CEO and co-founder of Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux. "The new design gives our franchisees more flexibility in where and how they build, while keeping the energy, hospitality and community connection our guests know and love."
Brand background
Walk-On's was founded in 2003 in Baton Rouge by LSU Basketball walk-ons Landry and Jack Warner. The brand now operates more than 80 locations nationwide.