Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
When you think of Texas Roadhouse, you typically think of the classic peanuts on the ground, ice cold drinks, delicious steaks and the iconic rolls with cinnamon butter. While the neon lights ring in the classic feel of a local steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse takes it a step further.
Texas Roadhouse is a national and international chain, where each location has hand painted murals by Dave Carter Fine Arts, Nick Hernandez, Texas Roadhouse Market Partner serving the Alabama Market confirmed.
Hernandez, who has been with the company for over 20 years, and stated that Taylor saw the work of Carter and liked it so much that he scheduled him to do murals within the first location. Following that, Carter has done the murals in most locations throughout the country, representing the local towns that each restaurant serves.
The murals highlight local schools, local history and houses two corners paying tributes to where it all began.
Kent Taylor, or as others affectionately knew him as Bubba, founded Texas Roadhouse in the early 1990’s in Clarksville, Indiana. Taking a vision of his new restaurant that was mapped out on a bar napkin and turning that napkin from a dream on a bar top, to a reality, Hernandez confirmed.
“Our late founder, he was super-duper passionate about community. He wants people to know that we’re not just a restaurant, we’re here to help and we’re here to serve and that we aren’t just here to make money off the townspeople. We want to be incorporated into that town,” Prattville’s local store marketer, Jordan LaFogg said.
In the Prattville Location, the murals pay tribute to the fountain city and local schools. The main mural on the back wall highlights the historic Daniel Pratt Cotton Gin, historic downtown Prattville and the Autauga Creek that flows through the downtown area.
Another mural in the front foyer pays tribute to Marbury High School, Prattville High School and Stanhope Elmore High School. With jerseys pinned to the wall for representation of Autaugaville High School, Holtville High School, Billingsley School and Elmore County High School.
In the star-bar, there’s also murals highlighting Cooter’s Pond as well as Maxwell Airforce Base and the RTJ Golf Trail at Capital Hill, where LaFogg confirmed both Texas Roadhouse and The Prattville Country Club have partnered and continue to partner on many events. Creating even more integration into the local community.
“We want to be the go-to for our community partners. You can always do something, and we want to be known as the organization that never says no,” Hernandez said.
Taylor was a superstitious man, Hernandez confirmed. He not only wanted local representation in every location, but there is also a Native American Indian painting in every Texas Roadhouse location, honoring the Native American culture.
The superstition being, that there were only three locations to not have the variation of a Native American Indian. Those locations shut down for various reasons, LaFogg confirmed, and now all locations have a painting in honor of the Native American culture.
While Texas Roadhouse pays tribute to their community, they also highlight country music legend Willie Nelson. Hernadez stated that Nelson and Taylor became friends after meeting at a benefit concert. Nelson was a huge supporter of the business in the early 2000’s and helped get the concept up and running.
“One of the things I didn’t expect when I started here was that Willie and Ken were besties, and I just thought that was awesome,” LaFogg said with a laugh.
Now, each restaurant celebrates Nelson’s larger than life career and the friendship that blossomed from music, poker games and a dream. Hernandez confirmed he used to work at a location where Nelson would come in and do meet and greets with Texas Roadhouse patrons.
“Willie was a big supporter in the 2000’s, he would wear the Texas Roadhouse bandana, would come in and do meet and greets. We wanted to show that Bubba (Taylor) and Willie are just the everyday average joe, too,” Hernandez said.
After the passing of Taylor in March of 2021, every Texas Roadhouse location has another corner dedicated to Bubba, who started the classic Texas Roadhouse made from scratch mentality.
“Bubba’s” corner is featured with photos of Taylor, and a tie-die patterned lamp in honor of his eccentric yet laid-pack lifestyle.
Both Hernadez and LaFogg stated that between all the photos of Nelson and Taylor, both had met the majority of individuals in the photos on display in Prattville.
“Almost every person on the wall honoring Kent, I have met before. My favorite part about working at Texas Roadhouse is the community, it’s just one of those things where nobody’s ever a stranger if you’re wearing that Texas Roadhouse logo,” LaFogg said.
Between the sense of community on the “Roadie” staff, and the communities that they serve, Texas Roadhouse has created a national family, dedicated to their local roots one iconic Texas Roadhouse roll at time.
