New restaurant openings have recently become commonplace in Baton Rouge, but now the city can expect something a little different.
Newk’s Eatery, a fast-casual concept restaurant based out of Oxford, Mississippi, now has a Baton Rouge location at 7211 Corporate Blvd. in Towne Center.
Founded in 2004, Newk’s comes from the minds of Don Newcomb, Chris Newcomb and Debra Bryson, who previously founded McAlister’s Deli.
Once McAlister’s was comfortably established, the trio sold the business and began to form Newk’s, a name which is a play off of Chris and Don’s last name.
“The residents of Baton Rouge can expect great service and great food. That’s the bottom line,” said Chad Fryou, manager of the Newk’s Corporate Blvd. location.
The restaurant uses fresh, high-quality ingredients in order to portray a more sophisticated dining experience for customers. Those ingredients, such as in-house dressings, batch-made chicken salad and pimento cheese, are a part of Newk’s slogan: “Great food is our passion.”
Hidden in the back of the restaurant is the prep kitchen where cooks make recipes from scratch daily, while the production kitchen — where the food is assembled — remains on display for patrons to see.
“We take pride in the fact that we have an open kitchen and we make everything from scratch,” Fryou said. “It’s rare these days.”
In addition to this display, customers can also partake in the roundtable offerings in the center of the restaurant.
The roundtable serves as an exclusive Newk’s staple, providing diners with a wide selection of toppings and add-ons.
Everything on the table is complimentary, including different condiments, bread and butter pickles, sliced pepperoncini’s, jalapenos, fresh baked croutons, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, as well as Newk’s brand breadsticks, which are imported from Italy.
For interested customers, there is a Roundtable Club, which has an online application. It’s similar to what other restaurants refer to as a loyalty club, where customers can receive special offers and coupons via email and be kept up-to-date about what’s going on business-wise.
The Newk’s menu includes sandwiches, soups, salads and California-style pizzas, as well as desserts.
One of the signature items, which happens to be most popular among customers, is the Newk’s “Q” sandwich. It is composed of grilled chicken, Applewood smoked bacon, Swiss cheese and smothered in a signature white barbeque sauce.
However, Newk’s will also carry some Cajun-inspired items such as the shrimp po-boy, spicy shrimp pizza and shrimp remoulade salad to appeal to Baton Rouge residents.
“As we expand into the capital city, we’re bringing along with us a menu that speaks to Louisiana’s Cajun roots,” Fryou said.
The restaurant also boasts an online ordering option as well as a Grab-N-Go cooler.
The online ordering option helps accommodate customers who want dine-in options but are in a rush, while Grab-N-Go features a select portion of fresh-made menu items.
The general ambiance of the restaurant provides customers with the feeling of attending a sit-down restaurant while keeping a casual atmosphere.
While seated, customers are surrounded by the artwork of Lee Harper, who paints each piece for all of the Newk’s locations.
Fryou said Newk’s is planning to expand more in Louisiana. During this year, the chain plans on adding five new locations, with two more in Baton Rouge. The second location will be at 3332 Lake Street in Northgate and is expected to open mid-summer.
“Baton Rouge in particular plays a key role in Newk’s plan to strengthen its current presence in the Southeast,” Fryou said.

Gallery • 11 Photos

Charles Champagne

Newks eatery prepares for its grand open on Monday, March 23, 2015 located at Towne Center on Corporate Blvd.