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HARLINGEN — Craving crowds of thirsting fans are waiting for what’s billed as America’s top sports bar to swing its doors open here.
Standing tall along Bass Pro Drive in the growing Harlingen Heights retail district, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is getting ready to open Aug. 5, Orlando Campos, chief executive officer of the city’s Economic Development Corporation, said Thursday.
One of the country’s fastest-growing restaurant franchises is opening here amid a business boom projected to draw more than 1,000 jobs within the next 10 years, officials said.
While Mayor Norma Sepulveda’s projecting new and expanding businesses to open as many as 430 jobs during that period, Campos is counting on about 680 jobs.
“We’ve been preparing for the business boom,” Assistant City Manager Josh Ramirez said Thursday, pointing to the Rio Grande Valley’s expansive growth sprawling along the region’s interstate highways. “We knew it was a matter of time. The connectivity of business will be booming everywhere — especially for us in Harlingen, because we’re centered.”
On the city’s entertainment scene, Walk-On’s is expected to become a hot, home-town hangout, with Edinburg’s restaurant offering a big hint after drawing sports fans along with families for five years.
“I’m excited,” Commissioner Rene Perez, who oversees District 5, said. “I think it’s going to be one of the best restaurants we have in Harlingen. It’s a great establishment — very family friendly. This is part of the push to bring a better quality of life to Harlingen.”
Commissioner Daniel Lopez called the franchise’s opening a sign of the city’s business boom.
“Fantastic!” he said. “The opening of Walk-On’s in Harlingen is a great addition to our portfolio of amazing restaurants. The city remains committed to promoting business growth and creation.”
For the Harlingen Heights retail district developing around Bass Pro Shops, officials are counting on Walk-On’s to draw more business.
”I think it’s going to be the catalyst for more businesses to open in that area,” Perez said.
On Wednesday, Walk-On’s, ranked Entrepreneur’s No. 1 “top new franchise,” is set to start taking applications to fill more than 70 jobs at the restaurant at 97 Bass Pro Drive.
“We are thrilled to bring Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux to Harlingen and are eager to find team members who are passionate about delivering exceptional service and creating a welcoming environment for our guests,” Walid Haidar, Walk-On’s franchisee, said in a press release.
Hailed as ESPN’s No. 1 sports bar, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, whose co-owner is former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, “is a nationally recognized restaurant and sports bar that brings together the love of food, sports, and community,” the company said in the press release.
The restaurant’s Louisiana-inspired menu “boasts scratch-made dishes, paired with a wide selection of unique cocktails and beers,” the press release said.
The city’s business boom’s bringing more than 430 jobs and about $6 million in sales tax revenue to town within the next 10 years, Sepulveda announced during her State of the City address in May.
While new and expanding businesses include Bert Ogden Jeep, Ram, Chrysler; Bert Ogden Genesis; and Bert Ogden Mercedes Benz, incoming businesses include Matt’s Building Materials, Black Bear Diner, Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott, Rally Credit Union, Ashley Furniture Distribution and Clearance Center and Provecho Y Salud, she said.
At EDC offices, Campos said he’s counting on three prospective companies bringing in about 680 jobs within 10 years.
“We are in final negotiations and the companies have said that they are committing to Harlingen, so we are more than confident that they will be moving forward with our community,” he said.
Campos described the three companies, including two back-office professional services companies and a retailer, as “far advanced in their site selection search.”
“There are several others that we are working with, and in competition with other communities,” he said. “So we remain in constant contact with them to support their efforts to demonstrate that Harlingen is the right choice for them.”
