Chef Dabo? Clemson’s football coach is getting into the restaurant business
From football coach to restaurateur?
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux announced Friday morning that Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney is a new franchisee with the restaurant chain.
The Louisiana-based company will be opening up 15 units in the Carolinas as part of a new multi-restaurant development agreement, which includes Clemson and a second location in Myrtle Beach that are already under construction.
“Being part of a great sports experience such as Walk-On’s was a no-brainer for me as I believe in their core values and their connection to the community,” Swinney said in a statement provided by the company. “(Co-founder) Brandon Landry and the story behind Walk-On’s is something I resonate with as a former walk-on wide receiver. I am excited to join the Walk-On’s team and help bring that Louisiana flavor and hospitality to more markets across the Carolinas.”
Clemson’s location is expected to open by late summer or early fall of this year.
Swinney will be “instrumental in the opening” of the Clemson location and the brand “help establish a presence in the Clemson community,” according to the press release. He’ll be a franchisee as part of the Pavilion Group and Carolina Eats that are leading the Carolinas expansion. Carolina Eats owner Jason Sadowski has brought in partners like former Tiger and current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne in other markets.
For as involved as he’ll be, though, don’t expect to see Swinney in the kitchen whipping up VooDoo Shrimp & Grits or cracking crawfish once the Clemson Walk-On’s location opens.
“He’s a great face to associate our brand with, especially in the Clemson market,” Landry told The State about Swinney. “He may do some appearances or things like that, but it’s just great to have him as part of our Walk-On’s family of athletes.”
Swinney and Landry first met through a mutual friend in author and public speaker Damon West last year and bonded over similar stories. In 1997, Landry tried to walk on with LSU’s men’s basketball team in 1997 and met Jack Warner, who was also attempting to earn a spot. They became friends and were successful in joining the program.
Three years later, while traveling after a road trip to the University of Tennessee, Warner and Landry began crafting a floor plan for a sports bar on the back of a napkin. On Sept. 9, 2003, the two former basketball players opened the first Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux (the alternate spelling of “bistro” being a nod to Louisiana’s cajun heritage) near LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
Since its inception, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has become a co-owner of Walk-On’s, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a franchisee and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White is part of the restaurant’s South Florida market. More than 50 restaurants have opened in 10 states with 20 more expected to open this year. There are currently three locations open in the Carolinas — Fayetteville and Wilmington, North Carolina as well as Myrtle Beach.
Similarly, Swinney walked on at Alabama and earned a scholarship, lettering three times (1990-92) and was part of the Crimson Tide’s championship-winning campaign in 1992.
Unlike Landry, though, Swinney opted to go into coaching.
“I sell burgers and beer for a living and he coaches, so we’re a little bit different on that front,” Landry said.
Despite going into different industries after college, the two former walk-ons’ paths have crossed somewhere in the middle of food and sports.
“We’re excited to have him as part of our family and excited to see what’s to come up there,” Landry said.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 9:00 AM.
