Photo courtesy of Casey Atherton.
The Cahaba Heights location of Waldo’s Chicken will be the first in the state.
Casey Atherton recently moved back to the 280 corridor after spending years in the Nashville area and brought a new restaurant concept with him.
Atherton will serve as the market partner/owner of the Waldo’s Chicken in the Birmingham market and will oversee additional restaurants built in the area.
Atherton had spent several years managing another popular chicken restaurant in Franklin, Tennessee. He had just opened up a new location when someone told him about Waldo’s Chicken.
The restaurant was founded by Mark Waldo, a Homewood native and grandson of the late Dr. Frank Waldo, a former pediatrician and founder of Mayfair Medical Group in Homewood and son of the retired Dr. Bryson Waldo.
After operating Waldo’s Chicken locations in Franklin, TN, Atherton, a Spain Park graduate, decided the time was right to move back home.
“I went by and met with the partner of that restaurant who introduced me to [founder Mark] Waldo. It was comfortable,” Atherton said. “It was the right move for [my wife] and I and for the brand and for the business to go forward. It was just the right opportunity at the right time and we couldn’t be happier.”
This is the newest concept for parent company, Fresh Hospitality, who also oversees Taziki’s and Martin’s BBQ. The first Waldo’s location opened in Nashville more than two years ago and the franchise has continued to grow.
“Waldo’s pairs incredible service and people with scratch made incredible food and I’m excited to bring this concept to my hometown,” Atherton said.
The first Birmingham location is set to open in Cahaba Heights at Dolly Ridge Road and Pump House Road this month. The restaurant participated in the Heights Hang Out event in April as their first hello to Birmingham and the community.
Once open in Cahaba Heights, Atherton said plans are in the works to open more locations, including U.S. 31 in Hoover/Vestavia and U.S. 280.
”Ideally by next year, we will have four or five locations in the greater Birmingham area, then stretch to Trussville, Tuscaloosa, and move south to Montgomery and eventually down to Gulf Shores,” Atherton said.
“Our entire concept is scratch-made everything, fresh food but with a Southern twist,” Atherton said. “We don't have freezers or microwaves and everything comes in fresh.”
Waldo’s also pairs with local breweries and will have around 20 local beers on tap including Cahaba Brewing Company, Avondale Brewing Company and Good People Brewing Company.
The menu features Southern-fried chicken and fire-roasted (brined overnight and hand-breaded) and fire-roasted rotisserie chicken (brined overnight and rubbed with spices), as well as fried chicken.
Other menu items include wings, hand cut fries, steamed potato wedges, white beans, collard greens, coleslaw, tomato cucumber salad, onion rings and fried pickles.
The restaurants will also bring new jobs to each area where they open. Atherton said he likes to start the restaurants with 35 to 40 employees.
“We could run with less, but part of what I like to do is have the best staff around and have as highly paid staff as there is,” he said. “Part of the reason to build additional restaurants is to be able to employ as many people as possible.
Atherton said he will hire high schoolers and college students and teach them how to be professional and handle themselves in a professional setting, along with those who are career-oriented in culinary.
Atherton’s wife, Rachel, will be on board to handle catering, community outreach and set up sponsorships. The couple’s first child is due around the time of the restaurant opening.
“I’ll manage that whole side of the business, which I'm super excited to do, and support Casey in everything I can,” she said.
Atherton said his entire management mindset and how he structures his businesses is around people. His focus is on “building leaders of the future and finding great people to provide elite customer service,” he said.
“It's good food, but people will go to Waldo’s Chicken for the consistency and customer service,” Atherton said.
For more info about the restaurant, visit waldoschicken.com.
