Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux has released additional details about a streamlined restaurant prototype it first announced in August, a smaller-footprint model the brand says is meant to give franchisees more flexibility in where and how they build.
The first location built to the new design is scheduled to open early next year at 8150 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to the company.
A compact format built as a "kit of parts"
The "next-generation sports bar model" was designed by Madrid-based restaurant design firm Livit and is intended for stores of 3,500 to 4,500 square feet. According to the company, the aim is to help operators maximize space, improve operations and create a more engaging guest experience. A traditional Walk-On's spans roughly 7,000 to 8,000-plus square feet, while the Baton Rouge prototype is about 3,688 square feet and will seat 125 guests.
Rather than relying on a single 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 company said. Renderings were provided by Livit.
Back-of-house and front-of-house changes
In the back of house, new clamshell griddles and other equipment additions are intended to simplify training, improve consistency and reduce ticket times without losing the ability to serve the full Walk-On's menu, according to the release.
Up front, 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 handle off-premise orders without disrupting the flow of the dining room.
Building on existing lessons
The prototype draws on lessons from Walk-On's existing restaurants, including its 3,700-square-foot location at The Battery in Atlanta. According to the release, that location showed that Walk-On's can deliver its full menu and sports-bar experience in a more compact, inline format, and the brand is applying those learnings to a "purpose-built prototype" intended 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."
Walk-On's was founded in 2003 in Baton Rouge by LSU Basketball walk-ons Landry and Jack Warner. The brand now has more than 80 locations nationwide.