PNJ Headlines: Here’s what’s in the news Friday
Keep your cash, electronic tolling ahead for Garcon Point Bridge, pickleball picking up steam, and a new Pensacola restaurant in Friday’s news
Tu-Do Vietnamese Restaurant, formerly located at 7130 N. Davis Highway, is being replaced by the Tennessee-based chain Waldo’s Chicken and Beer.
Escambia County property records show the owners of Tu-Do sold the parcel for $1.45 million in July, a little over $1 million more than they bought it for in 2005. In late April, Escambia County issued a permit to alter the 4,460-square-foot space and Pensacola-based general contractor Vision Construction which is renovating Tu-Dos’ former home for Waldo’s.
Jay Owens, senior project manager at Vision Construction, told the News Journal the new restaurant is slated to open in December.
What’s Waldo’s Chicken and Beer?
Waldo’s Chicken and Beer is a fast-casual restaurant chain with a focus on southern hospitality and cuisine that has over two dozen restaurants across the U.S., including locations in Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Waldo’s opened its first Georgia location this year and the chain is opening its first location in Maryland soon. Last year, the chain announced it planned to open between five to 10 restaurants in 2025.
The Pensacola location will be Waldo’s second restaurant in the Sunshine State. They’ve had a restaurant in the Silver Sand Premium Outlets since 2023.
Waldo’s Chicken and Beer menu, specials
Fans of the restaurant love its fried chicken, served either southern fried or rotisserie style and made from scratch every day, as well as its classic southern side dishes and beer from both local and domestic brewers.
Waldo’s offers a wide variety of sides, including french fries, coleslaw, white beans, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and tomato cucumber salad, all made from scratch.
They also offer family meals, buckets of chicken and even a feed-the-flock option, which is a big tender meal that comes with sides, biscuits and sauces.
You can get discounted draft beer or a “Waldo-rita” for $5 if you manage to catch one of Waldo’s happy hour specials, which have different time ranges depending on the location.
Typically, Waldo’s offers happy hour specials all day on Tuesdays and Sundays.
Does Waldo’s serve alcohol?
Waldo’s serves a selection of canned beer, special canned wines and signature cocktails. They also serve a few select beers on draft.
Where did Waldo’s chicken originate?
The company started as a 600-square-foot food stall by CEO and namesake Mark Waldo before moving into its first brick-and-mortar location in Germantown, Tennessee in 2019.
Where is Waldo’s Chicken headquarters?
Waldo’s is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Is Waldo’s Chicken a chain or franchise?
Waldo’s decidedly isn’t a franchise, and instead partners with local owners at each of its restaurants to ensure that everyone is connected to the community around it. No two Waldo’s restaurants are exactly the same as a result.
Some have drive-throughs and smaller dining rooms, while others have booths and large bars. It all depends on the location and what local partners think will work best for them.
Tina Harbuck of The Destin Log, and Hadley Hitson of Nashville Tennessean, contributed to this report.
