Atlanta-based Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux rolled out a refreshed and re-engineered menu Monday, broadening the appeal of its food and drink selection while preserving its Cajun legacy.
“We did a ton of guest research and discovered that diverse groups of people were coming in,” said Chris Porcelli, CEO of the 80-unit sports bar chain. Along with the “Sports Enthusiast” who naturally patronizes a sports bar and energizes the game-day vibe, the research revealed that “Team Mom/Family Decision Maker” was another clearly defined target audience. She’s the one who brings in the T-ball team and their parents to celebrate a win, or comes in with her family on a hectic Friday night.
So the menu refresh leaned into Walk-On’s as a “family-friendly sports bar,” said Porcelli, focusing on the restaurant’s scratch kitchen, its Louisiana culinary roots and an elevated beverage lineup. The makeover kicked off about a year ago.
Although it may sound contradictory, streamlining the menu was the first step in broadening its appeal. Director of Culinary John Hagen began by cutting some longtime items and reimagining and replacing others. In the end 14 dishes were axed.
The new Mardi Gras Salmon is targeted to the Team Mom/Family Decision Maker.
“We eliminated those with a low pain point of removal; items that were below 1% of sales or didn’t seem to resonate with guests,” said Hagen. That included a Surf ‘n Turf Burger that he tried to re-engineer with a different cheese and bun, but it still didn’t fly. “We have to be proud of what we serve,” he said.
What Hagen is proud of are the dishes he updated to be more craveable and on-trend. About 20% of sales come from Louisiana-inspired items, he said, so he took the menu’s boudin to new heights, infusing the Cajun pork and rice sausage with pepperjack cheese and transforming it into Pepperjack Boudin. With the restaurant’s Devil’s on Horseback, a signature appetizer, Hagen stuffed the butterflied shrimp with cream cheese and jalapeño, wrapped them in bacon and tossed them in hot honey after grilling. Customers are really into sweet heat flavors these days.
The reimagined Devils on Horseback are a best seller.
For the Team Mom/Family Decision Maker demographic, he added a couple of lighter dishes. “I brought back turkey as a healthier option,” said Hagen, a protein that was on the menu before but is returning as a Warm Turkey Melt with Havarti cheese and Sriracha aioli. There’s also a Havarti Turkey Burger. “Burgers comprise about 13% of our sales,” said Hagen.
The menu also puts more attention on the seafood category, with a new Mardi Gras Salmon making its debut. It features a salmon filet cooked with hot honey and topped with mango salsa, sided by a serving of fresh broccoli.
“We previously had about 80 items on the menu and now we have about 50,” said Hagen of the refresh. Not only does the streamlining help drive efficiency and save on costs, “it allows us to clear up more real estate for limited-time offers,” he added.
A drinks list for the times
The new cocktails are flavor-forward and less sugary.
“Walk-On’s hadn’t re-evaluated its cocktails in 10 years,” said Porcelli. “From guest feedback, we heard that the drinks were too sugary and high in alcohol.”
The chain teamed up with a beverage partner to rework the list, adding six new signature cocktails. Some have that Louisiana twist, like the Praline Espresso Martini made with praline pecan liqueur and coffee. A Spicy Mango Margarita is another new addition, mixed with reposado tequila, chili liqueur and mango puree.
The Strawberry Lemon Drop Martini was developed because customers were ordering lemon drop martinis even though they weren’t even on the cocktail list, said Porcelli. Now there is one, a blend of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, Cointreau, strawberry and lemon nectar.
And there’s an upgraded mule—The O-Line—replacing the underperforming Blackberry Mule. This one combines blood orange sour and blood orange ginger beer for a less sweet, more citrusy flavor profile.
“We elevated the bar program by partnering with the right vendors and offering higher end spirits,” said Porcelli, “but franchisees in local markets can choose what works best with their customers. Walk-On’s in Kentucky, for example, will have more bourbon brands.”
The beverage team also added more wines to appeal to that female guest. “These are good wines that you wouldn’t expect in a sports bar,” said Hagen.
The menu gets a facelift
The food and drink additions are not the only menu news. “Guests make decisions based on the look and feel of the menu,” said Hagen. Walk-On’s relied on research in which devices track the movement of guests’ eyes as they read the menu. “Most people get fatigue about halfway through the menu,” he said.
So the menu was redesigned, going from two columns to three and incorporating more colors and a larger font. Instead of placing high-margin items in the most prominent position, “we went with things we’re the most proud of; the signatures and best sellers,” said Hagen. And the seafood specialties were shifted to the right and stand out in their colorful box.
“We narrowed the menu down and highlighted what we’re really proud of,” said Porcelli.
Walk-On’s mantra, sectioned off in the lower lefthand corner of the menu says it all: Eat Good. Play Hard. Be Humble.
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