A taproom was always part of the plan for brothers Sam and Luke Walker when they founded Walker Brothers Beverage Co. in 2019. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit a short time later, they pivoted to a distribution-heavy model. Since then, they have been operating as a production-only brewery in Nashville. Since then, they have built their distribution to retailers across Tennessee and 12 more states. Amid this growth, the team is prepared to enter a new era.
“Recently, we’ve been trying to go back to our roots of what the original vision was, which was having a taproom where customers could gather and experience Walkers as a brand and what it has to offer in a physical setting,” Sam told What Now Nashville.
Now, they are making the taproom a reality. Walker Brothers Saloon will open at 306 Wilburn St. next year. They targeted East Nashville for their first physical spot, locating themselves near their bestselling zip code, 37206.
“We knew we wanted to stay as local as we could,” Sam said.
The 42-seat saloon will feature an eight-seat L-shaped bar, bar rail seating along the windows, a lounge area with sofas and an outdoor patio.
The spot will serve as a non-alcoholic bar by day and a cocktail-inspired bar in the evening. Offerings will include non-alcoholic and hard kombuchas, local beers, ciders, wine and a kombucha-inspired cocktail program. It will feature Walker Brothers Beverage offerings, including a new line of non-alcoholic botanical sodas called Forest Water, which they are rolling out next week.
Customers can expect the taproom to offer exclusive pilot batches of kombuchas and other beverages.
For the culinary element, the Walkers hope to work with local restaurant concepts. They hope to partner with Secret Bodega to provide pre-made hot food offerings that are frozen and can be reheated on site.
The spot is expected to soft open in March and April, with a grand opening in May and June.
“Our mantra is a family culture, and we’ve never been able to build that directly with our patrons because we’ve never had a physical gathering space,” Sam said. “So our hope is to focus on getting this bar off the ground and make it a welcoming place for all to gather.”
