Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, the Nashville-based fast-casual restaurant concept, is coming to Conway this summer. It’s set to open in early June at 2205 Dave Ward Drive in the former home of Volstead Proper.
The Conway location will be JTJ Restaurants’ fifth Arkansas location. The group is also behind locations of the regional chain in North Little Rock, Bentonville, and two Little Rock stores.
The sports bar-style eatery is known for its fresh, never-frozen fried chicken and rotisserie chicken, and a menu made from scratch daily. Founder Mark Waldo launched the brand in Nashville in 2019.
“We don’t have a freezer in our restaurant and all of our chicken comes in fresh,” said Ben Brainard, Waldo’s market partner. “What we do is unique because of our food.”
The Conway location will feature all the regular Waldo’s favorites, including tenders, sandwiches, salads, and plates — Fried Chicken, Rotisserie Chicken, Six Finger Feast and Bucket O’ Bird. Special recipes and processes at Waldo’s include an overnight pickle brine for the fried chicken, hand-cut fries, and a rotisserie chicken pepper mash that includes six different chiles, garlic, dry seasoning, and more. Every recipe is made from scratch each day, with no frozen ingredients on the premises.
“We are unembarrassingly spicy in our original recipes,” Brainard said. “We are not scared of bold flavors at all.”
Brainard said he is excited to have Waldo’s so close to the University of Central Arkansas campus. He said the brand has found success in every market where a college is nearby, and that Waldo’s more affordable price point makes it a natural fit for that crowd.
“We love the traffic counts on Dave Ward Drive, and being that close to UCA is a real positive for us,” Brainard said. “Waldo’s really appeals to that age group, and we work on the more affordable side of food. The fast-casual element really seemed to trend with what Conway natives are enjoying elsewhere in the market right now.”
The restaurant will seat 72 inside, with a drive-through, which will be a major focus given the Dave Ward traffic and the UCA campus directly across the street. The restaurant will also feature nine TVs and a full bar with 10 draft beers, including a rotation of four local brews and a cider option.
Brainard said the location is also working on outdoor patio seating, but it may not be ready for opening day.
“It’s very casual. I mean, it’s fried chicken served in a basket,” Brainard said. “We don’t overthink who we are at all. I had a group of eight guys dressed to the nines — lawyers or bakers — sitting right next to a big group of construction guys, and they were jawing at each other in a really friendly and fun way. We serve everybody.”
Brainard, part of JTJ Restaurants, was also involved in Big Bad Breakfast’s recent entrance to the Conway market downtown. The restaurant opened at 1004 Oak St. in December.
“We have had a lot of success at Big Bad Breakfast,” he said.
Brainard said more success at JTJ’s newest Conway concept could bring more restaurants to the market in the future.
“If Conway welcomes us the way that y’all welcomed Big Bad Breakfast, and we’re able to find a good rhythm, I would say in another year, you can depend on me for another restaurant,” he said.