Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux has shared a more detailed look at the inner workings of the streamlined restaurant prototype it first announced in August. The first store built to the new format is set to open early next year at 8150 Perkins Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The company describes the design as a "next-generation sports bar model," created by Madrid-based restaurant design firm Livit. It is intended for smaller stores of 3,500 to 4,500 square feet and is meant 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 Baton Rouge prototype is approximately 3,688 square feet and will seat 125 guests.
In the back of house, the design introduces new clamshell griddles among other equipment additions. According to the release, these are intended to simplify training, improve consistency and reduce ticket times without sacrificing the ability to serve the full Walk-On's menu. The brand says the smaller footprint is meant to preserve the full menu and experience while giving franchisees a format suited to more compact sites.
Out front, the bar remains the center of the restaurant, arranged in a peninsula-style configuration that can adapt to different layouts. Pickup cubbies positioned near the hostess stand are designed to handle off-premise orders without disrupting the flow of the dining room.
Rather than a single fixed layout, the new design is built as a flexible "kit of parts," the release notes, allowing franchisees to select or add key elements based on their market, site and personal preference.
The prototype draws on lessons from Walk-On's existing restaurants, including a 3,700-square-foot location at The Battery in Atlanta. According to the release, that location demonstrated that the brand can deliver its full menu and sports-bar experience in a more compact, inline format. Walk-On's says it is now 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."
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.