[EXCLUSIVE] Where's Waldo? Sharpsburg Awaits Waldo's Chicken & Beer

On the heels of news that Layne's, a Texas chicken chain, is entering the metro Atlanta market, comes news that another chicken joint plans to make its Peach State debut, too.  Waldo's Chicken & Beer, a Nashville-based restaurant, has secured space in Sharpsburg - between Newnan and Peachtree City- for their first unit in Georgia.  (Worth noting is that despite the similar name, the restaurant is not related to Ludacris' Chicken and Beer which has locations in Los Angeles' LAX and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson international airports.)  

The new Waldo's will open at 3430 Highway 34 E where it will occupy a freestanding former KFC which closed this past November, according to The City Menus.  The Sharpsburg restaurant, about 45 minutes south of downtown Atlanta, was originally built in 2008 and is about 3,100 square feet.  

Mark Waldo, in partnership with Fresh Hospitality, opened the first Waldo's Chicken & Beer in the Nashville neighborhood of Germantown in 2019.  In the years since, the company has expanded to nineteen locations in seven states with several more in both new and existing markets expected to open this year.    

Nashville-based Fresh Hospitality also owns Atlanta-based Taco Mac, Mary Mac's, and The Vortex, which they purchased this past December, along with Taziki's Cafe, Big Bad Breakfast and Biscuit Love, among others.  The company previously owned Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q before selling it to Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group in 2017.  

Some have compared Waldo's to Jim 'N Nick's but with a focus on chicken rather than barbecue.  (The Sharpsburg Waldo's is less than four miles from where Jim 'N Nick's opened a new ground-up location near Costco at Fischer Crossing in March 2021.)  

Waldo's main menu features Southern Fried and Rotisserie chicken.  

"You can also enjoy our chicken in a variety of ways: On the Bone, On the Bun, In a Basket, or In a Bowl. Toss in some of our homemade sides, any of our eight original sauces, and signature cheese biscuits, and you’ve found yourself a new favorite chicken spot.  One very important follow-up: you’ve gotta wash all that tastiness down with something, right? And what goes better with chicken than beer? With tons of beers available both in cans and on tap, we’ve built an impressive selection of local, regional, and imported brews."  

Waldo's growth has thus far been powered by collaborations with "market partners" and accelerated by making use of in many cases, second generation restaurant buildings.  

In the Denver suburb of Aurora, Waldo's opened in a former Jim 'N Nick's while in Miramar Beach, Florida it backfilled a former Cheeseburger in Paradise location along with fellow Fresh Hospitality concept Big Bad Breakfast.  In its home market of Nashville it opened in a converted former Captain D's while in Dothan, AL it opened in a former Taziki's Cafe which itself had replaced a Del Taco.  

Waldo's is not alone in looking for growth in metro Atlanta and joins a growing and highly competitive list of concepts seeking second generation restaurant space, especially in buildings equipped with a drive-thru.

It's unclear when or where Waldo's will land elsewhere in Georgia but the chain is reportedly actively looking for more sites.  

Have you been to Waldo's Chicken & Beer?  Does the Waldo's menu interest you?  Where would you like to see Waldo's open next? 

Please share your thoughts below