Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux opened Monday, Aug. 10, at 906 FM 544, giving Wylie a new Louisiana-style sports bar and adding an anchor to the SH-78 and FM 544 retail corridor.

Franchisee Cooper Thomson kicked off a grand opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. alongside Walk-On's founder Brandon Landry, Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter and city officials. A ribbon-cutting followed at 10:45 a.m., and doors opened to the public at 11 a.m. The first 100 guests had a chance to win free Walk-On's for a year, and the restaurant made donations to the athletic departments at Wylie High School and Wylie East High School.

"I am thrilled to expand Walk-On's presence in Dallas, and particularly in the community of Wylie," Thomson said in a press release ahead of the opening. "To be a part of the growth in this area — to serve families and be a place where little league teams celebrate and football fans cheer on their team — is such a special opportunity."

The Wylie location is the chain's 20th in Texas and its second operating restaurant in the DFW area, joining a location at Grandscape in The Colony. Walk-On's was founded in Baton Rouge in 2003 by former LSU basketball walk-ons Landry and Jack Warner and has grown to more than 80 locations nationwide. Former Saints quarterback Drew Brees co-owns the company, and franchise partners include Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

The menu centers on Louisiana-style seafood and classics: po'boys, gumbo, fried alligator, boudin balls, fried seafood platters, burgers and pastas, with most entrees priced between $10 and $20. The restaurant features dozens of TVs, a large outdoor patio and a family-friendly dining room built for game-day crowds, according to CultureMap Dallas.

The Wylie Economic Development Corporation highlighted the project Monday, noting the restaurant was built on previously undeveloped land and calling it "economic development in action." The EDC cited new jobs, dining options and investment for the community, though it did not specify a job count or construction dollar figure.

As we reported Aug. 5, Wylie's population has reached 62,649 residents, with nearly 950,000 people within a 30-minute drive fueling commercial growth along the SH-78 corridor.

Walk-On's is open daily at 906 FM 544, near the Highway 78 intersection. The Wylie EDC board meets next on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 7:30 a.m.