'More than just a restaurant:' Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux marks opening with significant donation
Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux is what you get when you combine Louisiana cajun-style cuisine and a sports bar and grill atmosphere.
Founded by Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, former Lousiana State University basketball team walk-ons, a new restaurant location in Columbia opened Monday at 2541 Broadway Bluff Drive, thanks to franchise owners AJ and Sefali Nursariwala. The location is the former home of Houlihan's restaurant and is under the leadership of General Manager Michelle Noe.
It is the first Walk-Ons location in Missouri, but more are planned by the couple in Springfield, Joplin and Branson. It joins the 78 other Walk-Ons in 15 states by various franchise owners. The Columbia location underwent some changes, including closing in an outdoor patio space to give more bar area seating. The restaurant is filled with multiple TVs showing various sports channels, and has a few arcades and outdoor games, such as cornhole.
"I had been looking for something that elevates what we had in our family (of businesses). I've wanted to be a Walk-Ons franchisee for almost three years," said AJ Nursariwala, adding he is in the hospitality trade with ownership of Hilton and Wyndham brand hotels, and restaurants such as Old Chicago, Bar Louie and a microbrewery in Kansas.
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The business is seen as more than just a restaurant by Bailey Richard, Walk-Ons regional marketing, because on top of serving food, the business regularly works to support local nonprofits and other groups. The grand opening Monday was marked with a more than $5,000 donation to Heart of Missouri CASA, or court-appointed special advocates.
"We don't just want to put a (location) anywhere. We want to make sure we can put it in communities we can affect and be a part of," he said.
There was a small line-up at the door Monday prior to the restaurant's official opening at 11 a.m. The first 100 guests who visited the restaurant Monday were entered into a chance to win free Walk-On's meals for a year, a roughly $1,250 cash value.
The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with Richard recommending the Bayou Pasta.
"It's a fun environment and atmosphere we bring here with the music and games and it's family-friendly," he said.
An active part of the community
The Columbia location was selected, partially as a means of helping the community grow, Richard said.
The idea to donate to Heart of Missouri CASA came straight from managers and the franchise owners as they are the ones with community knowledge, he said.
"Any way we can partner with the community, we are all for it," Richard said, adding this could include support of local athletic teams, cheerleaders or other partnerships. "We always say we are more than a restaurant and we bring people together.
"We want to be more than a restaurant to be a part of the community and highlight those events to bring people together."
The restaurant's culture
It was the culture of the restaurant and what the founders wanted to do that impressed the Nursariwalas. The restaurant menu notes the founding of the restaurant was built on the underdog mindset, "where no single player isbigger than the team."
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"It starts from the CEO and founder, all the way to anybody in the office. Everybody embodied that culture," said Sefali Nursariwala. "It's all about the team, the people that are involved in the day-to-day operation all the way to the community and how much they are involved."
After the initial franchise agreement for Columbia and Springfield locations, the couple went through the Walk-Ons university nine-week management training course. Following that, they signed on to open franchises in Branson and Joplin.
"We love Walk-Ons for everything it has to offer; from the people, the culture, the food, the amazing cocktails. We feel like this fits us and fits the community so well," Nursariwala said.
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux now open in Columbia.
