Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux has released additional details about the streamlined restaurant prototype it first announced in August. The first next-generation location is scheduled to open early next year at 8150 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The design, described as a "next-generation sports bar model," was created by Madrid-based restaurant design firm Livit. It targets smaller stores of 3,500 to 4,500 square feet and is intended to help operators maximize space, improve operations and create a more engaging guest experience. A traditional Walk-On's spans 7,000 to more than 8,000 square feet, while the planned Baton Rouge store is approximately 3,688 square feet and will seat 125 guests.
Kitchen and bar changes
In the back of house, new clamshell griddles and other equipment additions are meant to simplify training, improve consistency and reduce ticket times while still allowing the full Walk-On's menu to be served, according to the company. In the front of house, the bar remains 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 the dining room.
A flexible "kit of parts"
Rather than a single fixed layout, the prototype is built as a flexible "kit of parts," allowing franchisees to select or add key elements based on their market, site and personal preference.
The design draws on lessons from Walk-On's existing restaurants, including its 3,700-square-foot location at The Battery in Atlanta. According to the company, that location showed that Walk-On's can deliver its full menu and sports-bar experience in a more compact, inline format. The brand is now applying those learnings to a purpose-built prototype intended to give franchisees more options.
Company perspective
"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."
Founded in 2003 in Baton Rouge by LSU Basketball walk-ons Landry and Jack Warner, Walk-On's now operates more than 80 locations nationwide.