Walker Hayes Working on Lower Broadway Applebee’s Location

When the Ernest Tubb Record Shop on Lower Broadway in Nashville was under threat of being closed down permanently and sold off earlier this year, a few were predicting sarcastically that they might turn the historic business and property into a Walker Hayes-themed Applebee’s restaurant. It was the perfect way to illustrate the rabid commercialization and lunacy occurring in an important portion of downtown Nashville where the greats of country music once walked the sidewalks and performed.
Now, life could very well be imitating sarcasm in the coming future, as Walker Hayes has confirmed that he’s in discussions to open a Walker Hayes-themed Applebee’s restaurant location in the bustling entertainment district. “There is talk of us really opening an Applebee’s downtown on Broadway in Nashville,” Hayes said on a recent episode of the “Gunner & Cheyenne” morning show on KMLE 107.9 in Phoenix, AZ. “It’s a good time to be a country artist.”
Of course, the concept stems from Walker’s 2021 mega-hit “Fancy Like,” which includes the line, “Yeah, we fancy like Applebee’s on a date night/Got that Bourbon Street steak with the Oreo shake/Get some whipped cream on the top/Two straws, one check, girl, I got you…”
The song went viral on Tik-Tok, though it generally became reviled by many country fans and the general population as well after it became ubiquitous throughout culture. Applebee’s even brought back their Oreo shake due to the virality of the song, and used the track in a dedicated commercial campaign. In fact, many people thought the song was a commercial, and were shocked to to find out there was an original song behind it.
“Fancy Like” blurred the lines between art and commerce in country music like never before, and opening a corporate chain restaurant on Lower Broadway would be a similar offense. Though the entertainment corridor is already full of pop country artist-themed restaurants and bars encroaching on more authentic establishments such as Robert’s Western World and Layla’s, they’re at least all still original concepts, often operated by local proprietors. As America’s quintessential corporate restaurant right after McDonald’s, Applebee’s would be the exception, and they’ll probably close down or bulldoze something much more important and historic to do it.
Thankfully, it won’t be the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, which was recently saved by a new set of owners. But an Applebee’s location inspired by a song most Americans find annoying would be the latest sign of descent right in the epicenter of the country music Holy Land.
August 11, 2022 @ 7:52 am
“It’s a good time to be a country artist.”
Raphael from Ninja Turtles would be proud of the sarcasm.
August 11, 2022 @ 7:53 am
This is from The Onion right
August 12, 2022 @ 9:42 am
Nope, it’s from NBC’s TODAY show anchor, Hoda Kotb who promtotes him on the daily.
Last week, Walker was on the show singing happy birthday to her.
TODAY show viewers are liberal soccer mom’s, which is the bulk of the mainstream country music audience.
They’ll be bringing their kids to see Walker in concert. Just got to load up the mini van first.
August 11, 2022 @ 7:56 am
Worst news for Nashville since the Battle of Nashville.
Start shooting the nukes.
August 11, 2022 @ 7:59 am
Nashville used to be a must visit location for country music fans. Now it’s difficult to find a good reason to visit. It’s a shame that he made money from this song. And even more of a shame that it ever was cut.
On another note I’d love to see an article on the part Stormy Warren has played in the corrosion of country music. I have no problem with the guy as a human but because of
the wife I have to listen to him on XMs Highway. The stuff he pushes is terrible and barely passes for music.’
And lastly does anyone really believe the lyrics of down home by Jimmie Allen?
There ain’t a day down here that goes by
That I don’t climb up in my F-150
On a backroad bumping Charley Pride
I’d be surprised is the guy even owns a Pride album. And if he does it’s used to level out his dinning room table.
August 14, 2022 @ 2:34 am
Sounds like you’re jealous of him! He’s got an amazingly funny personality and very talented to be able to put the lyrics together the way he has done! Can’t help but sing out loud and dance along with him! Gets me energized and happy every time I hear any of his songs!
August 14, 2022 @ 7:41 am
I
don’t know the fella, but I’ve seen nothing that would say it’s not a good guy.
Far from jealous though. I would never want to be a part of the Nashville machine. It’s a machine that tells the artist who to be. It doesn’t care about quality just how much money can be made. It relies on folks like yourself who don’t care about quality. Nothing wrong with what you like. It’s kind of like the person who’s ok with a Wendy’s hamburger and doesn’t care about a porterhouse. And there’s a lot more folks like you out there or we wouldn’t have people like Sam Hunt Jimmie Allen or Luke Bryant.
August 11, 2022 @ 8:03 am
It’s a cheesy song, but I laughed out loud the first time I heard it because my date nights with my wife in college were Applebees in Tuscaloosa.
I typically hate most modern country music. But I have to admit, Walker Hayes is a hard guy to hate on. Honestly seems like a nice guy. Just can’t hate on him for trying to make a buck during his moment. That guy’s got a lot of kids.
August 11, 2022 @ 8:23 am
I spent most of my life in Tuscaloosa.
August 11, 2022 @ 5:57 pm
Hardest hit by this is probably Cracker Barrel.
August 15, 2022 @ 6:31 am
That gives me an idea for a song!
August 11, 2022 @ 8:13 am
I read that on whiskey riff back then and asked about that on here, not realizing at the time it was probably a April fool’s joke. But I guess sometimes jokes can come true. Don’t really have an issue unless like trig says, something historic is torn down to make way for it.
August 11, 2022 @ 8:18 am
I read the article headline as hes working at Applebee’s. As in his music washed up and it left him working at AB. What a disappointment after actually reading the article. No disrespect to anybody that works at Applebee’s.
August 11, 2022 @ 1:30 pm
This is also how I read it at first
August 12, 2022 @ 5:17 am
100% how I read that headline as well. What a disappointment
August 11, 2022 @ 8:36 am
Ugh.
August 11, 2022 @ 8:41 am
Who signs off on this shit? I guess the same kinda person who signed off on Batgirl.
August 11, 2022 @ 9:20 am
Who the hell is,Walker Hayes?
August 11, 2022 @ 9:26 am
A much needed site for Applebee’s right?…NOT!
The ultimate awful contemporary corporate jjngle…I mean song.
Well, at least it will leave the great places like Roberts and Layla’s to real fans….
August 11, 2022 @ 10:54 am
I guess it depends on your background, but I’ve always enjoyed Applebees. It’s a nice place. I wear a collared shirt when I go. It’s not Red Lobster nice, but it’s good.
August 11, 2022 @ 2:08 pm
hahahaha. honestly laughed out loud. Thanks for that one.
August 11, 2022 @ 11:38 am
I like his music. It’s fun to listen too. Can’t hate on a family man who loves his wife and kids! They are fun to watch with their dances. So much fun to watch him with his family! What’s wrong with a good fun family man.
August 11, 2022 @ 12:09 pm
Liking his music isn’t a problem. Calling it country is.
And this article isn’t attacking his character as a human being. Criticizing a person’s art does not necessarily equate to a personal attack.
August 14, 2022 @ 5:44 am
No one is criticizing his family, Rebecca. We are criticizing that people consider this to be country music, when in reality, it is not.
August 11, 2022 @ 3:03 pm
Applebee’s is a great place to eat…..20 years ago.
August 11, 2022 @ 3:18 pm
Yes. This. Applebees was some good stuff 20 years ago. As was TGIF and Ruby Tuesday. Now their prices have doubled up and the quality has doubled down.
August 14, 2022 @ 7:58 am
I feel that 99 Restaurants is the only good restaurant franchise left.
You get free popcorn and they don’t play obnoxious music so loudly in the restaurant (unlike Chilis and Applebee’s etc)
August 11, 2022 @ 4:28 pm
Ricky Bobby & the fam. at Applebee’s.
https://youtu.be/A27nH_TtN3k
August 12, 2022 @ 4:20 am
I can’t defend my tastes, but I actually like that dumb song.
August 12, 2022 @ 7:40 pm
Not really a fan of that one but have to admit I find “AA” to be really fun and catchy…
August 13, 2022 @ 5:43 pm
I think it’s OK to have one obscenely goofy dong on the radio at anytime. As much as I’m embarrassed to admit it, it’s a catchy tune. I’m a huge fan of Bluegrass, Willie is my musical hero, George Jones is my favorite voice, followed by Vern Gosdin, but I must admit I like that shitty song, even though it’s blasphemy to call it country.
August 13, 2022 @ 6:05 pm
This is so embarrassing.
August 14, 2022 @ 5:41 am
Ok, buckle up. This is going to be a long one.
I cannot muster up the energy to be outraged at Walker Hayes anymore. I have raged in a few of the comment sections in the past about him, but no more. I have lost the energy because, and forgive me for those who don’t understand the analogy, Walker Hayes is the Eobard Thawne / Reverse Flash of what is classified as mainstream “country” music. At this point, he’s doing everything he does out of sheer pettiness. And it’s all to get under the skin of us traditionalists, who are the “Barry Allens” in this story.
Of course, there are other cringe singers out there. Luke Bryan with his incessant yapping about hitting on college girls half his age at spring break is a prime example. But every once in a while, even Bryan’s conscience gets the better of him and he makes a somewhat decent song a time or two.
Hayes just laughs at you and says, “What conscience?”
The guy knows he’s cringe. Not only that, but he purposely goes out of his way to be cringe!!! He knows we despise him and he loves it. He thrives off of it. Even worse than that, he knows everything he does further encourages the legions of adoring bougie wine-moms to support him even more, as they, too, love getting under the skin of the purists. So, stuff like this is absolutely no surprise to me anymore. And I don’t even ask the question, ‘Can it get any worse?” That’s because with Walker Hayes, you know the answer. It can and it WILL get worse. Like Reverse Flash, Hayes is going to purposely reach even greater levels of cringe and petty to make us Barry Allens filled with rage and dread!!
August 14, 2022 @ 7:11 am
I agree with you that I can’t muster up any anger for this dude. It’s almost too indolent to even dignify with criticism. I would respectfully disagree though that he is doing it to get under people’s skin. I think he’s just a goofy white dude with little talent trying to do what he can to feed his family who was headed to the dustbin of history before he figured out how to game Tik-Tok for one last hurrah.
August 15, 2022 @ 6:37 am
He didn’t figure it out. His team figured it out. Going viral on any platform requires a team of people to make it happen. Nothing rises to the top organically, on it’s own merits. This is what record labels do.
August 15, 2022 @ 6:40 pm
I can understand where you are coming from, Trigger. And a part of me wants to believe you’re right. But every move he makes just seems so calculated and timed to a point where he knows that he’s getting under the collective skin of people like us. And, knowing that point, he wants to go even further in that direction. I agree he is goofy, but his general attitude just screams out “I love pissing you purists off, and I am going to do it even more and more!!!” Like I said, He is doing these things (and trying to make crappy anthems for SEC Network) out of pettiness.