Who Owns Waldo’s Chicken and Beer? The Story Behind This Growing Restaurant Chain

Ever bite into a perfectly crispy piece of southern fried chicken and wonder who’s responsible for this deliciousness? I’ve been diving into the world of fast-casual dining lately, and Waldo’s Chicken and Beer kept popping up in my research. The question on many foodies’ minds seems to be who actually owns this rapidly expanding chicken empire? Let’s crack open this mystery together and learn about the faces behind those famous cheddar biscuits.

The Founder: Mark Waldo’s Journey

If you’re wondering about the name “Waldo’s” it’s not just a catchy moniker – it comes from the founder himself Mark Waldo. Born and raised in Birmingham, Mark grew up immersed in the restaurant industry. From an early age, he was washing dishes, bussing tables, and waiting on customers, gaining valuable experience from both the back and front of house operations.

Despite his early passion for restaurants Mark’s career path took a detour first. He spent nearly a decade building a company in sales before the food industry pulled him back in. In 2017 opportunity knocked when he was approached to create a new chicken concept for the West Virginia University student union.

What started as a humble 500-square-foot food concept called “Two Birds” in the WVU student union has transformed into something much bigger. After two years of success serving college students (with mac and cheese being a particular hit), the concept evolved into what we now know as Waldo’s Chicken and Beer.

The First Location and Early Challenges

The first standalone Waldo’s Chicken and Beer opened in Nashville’s Germantown neighborhood in 2019. But the timing wasn’t exactly ideal. The restaurant faced immediate challenges when a tornado devastated the neighborhood, and caution tape roped off their parking lot.

As Mark candidly put it, “We didn’t have two customers to rub together.” But instead of giving up, the team doubled down on quality.

“We spent a whole year basically just obsessing over everything from our tenders to our onion rings to the rotisserie to our salad mix,” Mark explained. They operated with a simple but powerful motto: “If it’s not a 10 out of 10, let’s make it a 10 or get it off the menu.”

This obsession with quality paid off. Once the neighborhood discovered Waldo’s, word of mouth spread rapidly, and the restaurant began to gain traction.

Corporate Structure: Who Really Owns Waldo’s?

While Mark Waldo is the founder and public face of the brand, the corporate structure behind Waldo’s Chicken and Beer is a bit more complex.

According to industry sources, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer is owned and operated by Buttermilk Hospitality, a growing restaurant group that specializes in developing and nurturing unique culinary concepts. Buttermilk Hospitality provides the infrastructure, resources, and expertise needed to maintain consistent quality across locations and manage the brand’s expansion.

Unlike many restaurant chains that rely heavily on franchising, Waldo’s takes a different approach. The majority of Waldo’s locations are corporate-owned by Buttermilk Hospitality, allowing them to maintain tighter control over quality and brand standards.

The Partnership Model

One of the most interesting aspects of Waldo’s business strategy is their unique partnership model. Rather than traditional franchising, Waldo’s operates with local partners who co-own and operate each location. This creates a stronger connection between the restaurant and the communities they serve.

This partnership approach began when Dino Nithianandan from Tulsa, Oklahoma discovered the original Germantown location while searching for chicken restaurant concepts. As Mark described it, “We were still trying to figure out who we were going to be when we grew up, and he came and spent time with me and ate the food with me. We really hit it off.”

Nithianandan, who brought valuable industry experience to the table, opened the second Waldo’s location in Tulsa. From there, the concept took off, with each new location following this co-ownership model.

Mark is passionate about this approach: “I’m a big believer in our local partners running their business and letting their own personalities really shine through.”

Current Size and Growth

From its humble beginnings, Waldo’s has experienced impressive growth:

• Started as a 500-square-foot concept called “Two Birds” in WVU’s student union
• First standalone location opened in Nashville’s Germantown in 2019
• As of 2025, there are 15 locations across multiple states
• Plans to have 20 operating restaurants by the end of the year
• Upcoming locations include Nashville’s Belle Meade area and Brentwood’s City Park development

The Williamson County market alone has two locations (Cool Springs and Downtown Franklin) with a third on the way.

The Waldo’s Philosophy

What sets Waldo’s apart from other chicken joints? It all comes down to their food philosophy and commitment to quality:

“We live by our food philosophy and our commitments to the guests. Everything that is served to a guest was made in our kitchen that day from scratch,” says Mark Waldo.

The team at Waldo’s spends their mornings:

• Mixing flour by hand
• Punching fresh french fries
• Squeezing fresh lemons for lemonade
• Polishing silverware
• Creating over ten homemade sauces

They also prioritize sourcing high-quality ingredients, like using premium chicken tenders rather than “tumbled injected poultry.”

Some of their recipes have fascinating histories. For example, their famous cheddar biscuit recipe was developed 45 years ago at a restaurant called ‘Lucky Snapper’ in Destin, Florida, run by one of Waldo’s partners, Wayne Lewis. As Mark put it, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Community Involvement

Beyond serving delicious food, Waldo’s has a strong commitment to giving back to the communities they serve. This became deeply personal for Mark when his brother-in-law was diagnosed with a rare form of multiple myeloma, leading the company to partner with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“We’ve always seen our restaurants and our businesses as an opportunity to add value to the community,” Mark explained. “We really never found anything that was just really close to home for us—until my wife’s brother was diagnosed.”

Each Waldo’s location is encouraged to support local charities and organizations specific to their community, whether that means:

• Helping with food drives
• Supporting schools and youth programs
• Hosting charity nights
• Partnering with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club

The Williamson County locations, managed by Olivia Bane and Tim Stanton, have been particularly active in community support, with an emphasis on helping women and children.

The People Behind the Operation

While Mark Waldo is the founder, the success of each location depends on dedicated local partners and staff. In Williamson County, the market is managed by Olivia Bane and Tim Stanton:

• Tim moved his family from Pittsburgh after meeting Mark because he “really liked the brand he’s creating”
• Olivia is a Franklin native with a lifelong career in hospitality
• They don’t have an office, instead spending their days in the restaurants
• They can be found sweeping floors, chatting with guests, and making work fun for employees

Their management style emphasizes creating a family-like atmosphere among the restaurant crews. As Tim explained, because employees make the food themselves, they take great pride in their work – one Franklin team member was so proud of his homemade ranch dressing that he called his mom to come try it!

The Future of Waldo’s

Buttermilk Hospitality and Mark Waldo have ambitious plans for the future of Waldo’s Chicken and Beer. While they’re currently focused on domestic expansion, they’re constantly innovating their menu offerings and enhancing the customer experience.

The company isn’t publicly traded, remaining privately held under Buttermilk Hospitality. This allows them to focus on long-term growth without the pressures of quarterly earnings reports.

As Mark puts it: “Rising waters raises all the ships, and we want to create opportunities for everyone in the communities we serve. When you mix tasty food with incredible southern hospitality, you make a lot of people happy and watch a lot of memories happen around a table of great food.”

Wanna Try Waldo’s?

If all this chicken talk has got your mouth watering, you can find a Waldo’s location near you by visiting their website at https://waldoschicken.com/.

Whether you’re craving some southern fried chicken, slow-roasted rotisserie, or those famous cheddar biscuits, Waldo’s offers an approachable menu in a casual, fun atmosphere. And with their commitment to fresh, scratch-made food and community involvement, you can feel good about where your dining dollars are going.