In a Southern food landscape overflowing with chicken joints, Waldo’s Chicken & Beer has broken through the noise and built a steady following.
Behind the fast-growing brand is founder Mark Waldo, a Birmingham native whose people-first philosophy and scratch-made standards are turning a casual chicken spot into one of Alabama’s most exciting culinary success stories.
Waldo, a University of Alabama alum, has expanded his family of restaurants to more than 27 locations across the South—many with drive-thrus but all proudly rooted in real hospitality. With multiple new Alabama openings planned, he’s bringing his homegrown approach back to the state that helped shape it.
A people-first mission
Behind the scenes, Waldo has a very simple mission and motto: to put people first. “People-first is easy to say, but you have to live it every single day,” Waldo says. At Waldo’s, this isn’t just a poster on the wall; it’s the heartbeat of the company.
“Our office is the dining room,” he explains. “We work shoulder-to-shoulder with our team, doing the exact same things they do. There’s no job we would ask someone to do that we aren’t willing to jump in on ourselves, whether that’s making a sandwich or drying dishes.”
This ethos translates into real opportunity for employees. “People want a place where they can grow, and that requires real investment,” Waldo says. “Someone once told me you can never replace show-and-tell, and I believe that. Showing someone what you’ve done and the path you’ve walked is more powerful than just talking about it.”…