• by Teresa Buyikian , December 7, 2023

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux restaurant and sports bar announced it has hired Laurie Curtis as chief marketing officer, beginning immediately. She will be based in Walk-On’s Atlanta headquarters.

Curtis joins the company with more than 25 years of restaurant hospitality experience. She most recently served as vice president of marketing and menu innovation at Denny's for over eight years, where she oversaw brand and field marketing, product development, communications and insights.

Previously Curtis also held significant leadership roles with several restaurant brands, including a stint as vice president of marketing for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, where she led all marketing related activities for more than 560 TGI Friday’s restaurants in the U.S. Earlier in her career she worked as worldwide marketing director for Pizza Hut. She also spent time at Cedars Woodfire Grill, Domino’s and Kraft.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux began when two LSU walk-on basketball players, Brandon Landry and Jack Warner opened the first location in 2003 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Inspired by the “grit, hustle and true spirit of a college walk-on” -- a team player who joins without athletic scholarships -- the chain has grown to 100 locations across the country, featuring Louisiana dishes along with burgers, sandwiches and seafood paired with liquor options.