Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a Louisiana-inspired restaurant, is coming soon to the Cape, at Southwest Pine Island Road. PROVIDED

Ground broke last week for a new restaurant coming to Cape Coral that combines a sporty environment with top-notch food offerings.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a Louisiana-inspired restaurant, is being constructed at 1127 Southwest Pine Island Road, where it will bring scratch-made culinary options and, according to its new franchisee, vibrant entertainment and warm atmosphere.

The new Walk-On’s franchisee, Len Lemmer, who owns various Southwest Florida establishments, is looking forward to bringing the new restaurant concept to the area. Lemmer’s family makes up a large part of the team, including daughter Erin as administrative manager, son Tyler as director of Operations, son-in-law Steven Hall as general manager, and daughter Kiera as Front of House manager.

“We’re kind of a family company,” Lemmer said. “We’re all involved in the business and as a result of that, we wanted to build our company. We love the Walk-On’s story — a story about people that maybe didn’t have the greatest God-given gifts, but work harder, and that’s kind of the corporate ethic that runs through all of the restaurants. And we’ve been in the restaurant business for a long time, and we like to think that’s the kind of ethic we have as a company. So it was a natural match for us.”

Walk-On’s was founded in 2003 by Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, Louisiana State University walk-on basketball players. During their playing time, they discovered shared interests and decided to push their dreams beyond the basketball court, later receiving financial backing from veteran NFL quarterback Drew Brees. There are currently 78 Walk-On’s in 15 states, with six in Florida. Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux was celebrated as the No. 1 sports bar in the country by ESPN.

Construction has commenced for Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a Louisiana-inspired restaurant, at 1127 SW Pine Island Road. PROVIDED

“There are a lot of very popular sports bars out there right now, but none of them are renowned for their food,” Lemmer said. “And Walk-On’s has a scratch kitchen, where all of the items are produced from scratch. Plus the fact we have this Cajun menu which is really popular. The combination of the two, and multiple selections of beer and good times, made this attractive to us.”

Lemmer said another aspect that made him want to jump in was that Walk-On’s gets involved in the community, specifically youth sports.

“We’re all about that,” he said. “We’re very much driven to be a local entity that supports local charities and ventures in our town. And being able to support youth sports is right up our ally.

“We’re going to be reaching out to the schools. We’ll be reaching out to Little Leagues, soccer leagues, etcetera. That’s all part of what we do.”

The 8,900-square-foot restaurant, built by Curran Young Construction, will feature indoor/outdoor seating, with completion planned for Spring 2025. Steve Myli and Dylan Porier of CYC will serve as senior project manager and assistant project Manager for the project. Rob Wyman and Sergio Nascimento of Incredible Bank of Cape Coral are providing construction financing.

Chris Curran, CEO of Curran Young Construction, said, “We love to build restaurants because they are places where our team, friends and family can enjoy long after it’s been built. With the menu and family atmosphere of Walk-On’s, we know this is going to be wildly successful and we are thrilled to be part of it.”

Lemmer said the growth along Pine Island Road made it an ideal spot for Walk-On’s to find a home. He added another Walk-On’s location is to be built in the future in Fort Myers.

As for why Cape residents should patronize Walk-On’s when it opens its doors, Lemmer said, “We appeal to all segments of the population. We’re especially strong with families and young kids. We have a value-driven scratch menu that is within everybody’s price point. With times being a little bit tougher, that’s a big thing for us. People that enjoy getting together and watching sports, will find Walk-On’s to be a great place to go and just hang out.”

Director of Operations Tyler Lemmer added: “We’re confident it will become a go-to spot for residents and visitors alike, with more locations on the horizon.”

To learn more about Walk-On’s, visit Walk-Ons.com.