Beef 'O' Brady's is coming to Mississippi, starting with this city. See where

A Beef 'O' Brady's restaurant is expected to open early next year on Mississippi 45 in Columbus. The company has plans to bring one to cities such as Hattiesburg, Meridian and Magee, too, if the right person comes along that wants to invest in the franchise.

Beef 'O' Brady's CEO Chris Elliott said the restaurant chain is designed to be a sports bar that is family-friendly, where sports fans could watch the games and enjoy a meal and the kids would feel welcome. That concept has paid off for the chain as it enters its 40th year.

"The guy who founded it had small children when he did," Beef 'O' Brady's CEO Chris Elliott said. "He wanted a bar at the restaurant for his adult friends, but he put video games and TVs in there for the kids and it just sort of morphed from its early days into something that was built for families and it has grown up that way."

The first store opened in 1985 in Brandon, Florida, offering wings and burgers. The menu has expanded to include sandwiches, entrees, pizzas and appetizers. The brand will soon be adding steaks to the menu, but it is the family-style sports bar that makes the brand popular.

The children's menu offers fun items like a pepperoni and cheese quesadilla, the hand-breaded chicken tenders and the ever-popular mini corn dog.

"It works really well in small towns," Elliott said, adding that the largest city where there's a Beef 'O' Brady's restaurant has roughly 60,000 people.

Beef 'O' Brady's has 130 locations in 15 states and is planning to add more in the coming years.

The restaurant chain has a Mississippi connection in that it buys its chicken from Sanderson Farms, which is headquartered in Laurel.

"Wings are still our No. 1 selling item," Elliott said.

The restaurant chain is not new to Mississippi. The brand previously had locations throughout the state, including ones in D'Iberville, Meridian and Madison.

Elliott said the restaurants likely were victims of the nationwide economic downturn that began in 2008.

"We lost quite a few stores during that economic downturn," he said.

One of the main differences between Beef 'O' Brady's and other restaurant chains such as O'Charley's and Applebee's is that it has the sports bar element.

"You get equal or better food, but you also get the sports aspect of it and the kids aspect of it," Elliott said.

Beef 'O' Brady's also offers an entertainment element with trivia night and other events, something other chains do not.

And the brand has one more feature that makes it popular, especially in smaller cities: Beef 'O' Brady's is community-minded, getting involved with schools, churches and other organizations.

"We have a really strong social connection and the people in the community appreciate that," Elliott said.

To learn more

For more information about Beef 'O' Brady's, visit beefobradys.com.

For franchise information, visit fscfranchiseco.com.

Have you been to a Beef 'O' Brady's? Tell us what you think. Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Beef O Bradys near me in Mississippi