Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Plans Smaller, More Flexible Prototype

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux will open a new prototype in early 2027 that features a more efficient, flexible design. The restaurant will open in Baton Rouge, La., which is where the brand started in 2003. Today, it operates more than 80 locations nationwide.

“This is a full-circle moment for Walk-On’s,” says Brandon Landry, founder and CEO of Walk-On’s, in the release. “Baton Rouge is where we started 23 years ago, and it’s the right place to introduce what’s next. We’re investing in our hometown while building on what we’ve learned over more than two decades about what makes a great sports bar.”

The prototype measures 3,500 to 4,500 square feet compared with Walk-On’s traditional 7,000 to 8,000 square feet. It includes a more efficient kitchen and back-of-house operation, while supporting takeout, catering and other off-premise occasions. The design also prioritizes visibility to multiple screens and improved acoustics.

Walk-On’s designed the smaller, more flexible format to require a development investment of less than $2 million. It’s meant to lower financial barriers, reduce development complexity and open new site opportunities, including endcap and in-line spaces.

“This isn’t a smaller Walk-On’s. It’s a smarter one,” Landry says. “Today’s sports fans have different needs, so we challenged ourselves to rethink the traditional sports bar from the ground up, from how much space we need, how the kitchen operates, where guests sit and how they watch the game. The result is a model that’s simpler to operate and more flexible to build, without compromising the scratch-made food, game day energy or community that define Walk-On’s.”

Walk-On’s will open the prototype at 8150 Perkins Road. It will be the ninth Walk-On’s location in Baton Rouge and 20th in Louisiana.