Bayou Eats | Newk’s Eatery

Article by Starla Gatson
Photography by Kelly Moore Clark

THE NEWK’S EATERY BRAND was born more than 20 years ago when father-son chef duo Don and Chris Newcomb decided to open their first location in Oxford, Mississippi. Visit one of Northeast Louisiana’s three locations, though, and you’d probably have a hard time believing that this isn’t a NELA-founded company. The crews at the Monroe, West Monroe, and Ruston locations are so passionate about the communities in which they exist, and it shows — at least, Newk’s area director Will Erwin hopes it does. 

While the Newk’s company itself isn’t local, the three restaurants in the area are owned by local families, the Hardins and the Fullers. Like them, Erwin is also a local. Graduate school and past employment opportunities took him away for a few years, but he and his family have been back in the area for over a decade now. He and his family consider NELA home, as do the franchise’s owning families, which is why all of them are so dedicated to serving the community. 

“They are from here, they raised their kids here, they went to school here, they worked here,” Erwin says of the local franchise owners. “[They’ve been] very involved in the community for generations, decades and decades. It was very important to them to have a strong footprint in our community. Not just for business reasons, but because that’s part of our culture, and that’s what our owners value and who they are.” 

Erwin explains that part of having that strong footprint is meeting guests where they are. That’s precisely what the Newk’s crew has done since the first of the three locations opened in Monroe in 2015. It isn’t unusual for Newk’s to pop up at local events, like the Bayou Jamb Taste of the Tailgate, the West Monroe Chamber of Commerce Brown Bag Concert Series, and ULM’s Best of Ouachita event. 

Being present at these events isn’t just about making sales or drumming up business, Erwin says, though, of course, that’s a result of their showing up — “People want to do business with people they see giving back and participating,” he explains. Instead, the goal is to interact with community members. That’s something the team genuinely enjoys doing, Erwin says, and often, there’s no agenda for doing so other than to show appreciation. Take the West Monroe staff’s visit to Ochsner LSU Health Monroe, for instance. They didn’t show up to make sales but to treat the oncology nurses to free goodies during Nurses Week. 

When they aren’t out and about meeting guests’ needs, the Newk’s crew is supporting local folks in-house. It isn’t unusual for the locations to host fundraisers supporting area philanthropies. One of these is Wiggin’ Out, a nonprofit that gives current and former cancer patients access to wigs, headwear, lymphatic garments, prosthetic bras, and gift cards. The local Newk’s franchise has partnered with the Ruston-based organization since its opening, hosting all-day giveback events to raise funds for the cause. 

The next Wiggin’ Out fundraising day will be Friday, December 12th, Erwin shares, adding, “We really love the impact they have on Northeast Louisiana.”  

Those are but a few examples of the ways Newk’s connects with its guests. There are plenty more, and each one drives Erwin’s primary point home: he and the rest of the Newk’s crew highly value connection. And, like any other good restaurant, they also value serving high-quality food and creating an enjoyable environment.

Newk’s guests undoubtedly love their local locations because of the level of community engagement they see, but the top-notch service and casual atmosphere probably don’t hurt, either. Erwin shares that those are some of the things that encouraged him to pursue a career with the company: “Everybody was always friendly and smiling; it seemed like a great place to work,” he shares. It’s safe to assume they’re also the reasons guests have kept coming back for the last 10 years. 

Besides a laidback atmosphere and service with a smile, Newk’s also offers guests a menu packed with enough options to appeal to a variety of preferences and cravings and a Grab-n-Go station for those who need their meals in a rush. The sandwiches are most likely the franchise’s most popular items. If you want to try one, Erwin recommends the Pesto Chicken Sandwich, made with pesto sauce, grilled chicken, Swiss cheese, and bell peppers. There are plenty of other sandwiches on the menu, too, like the Chicken Bacon Club and the Steak “Q” Sandwich that comes with sliced sirloin steak, caramelized onions, and Newk’s signature white barbecue sauce.

Newk’s is also known for its fresh and filling salads, including the Green Goddess Salad, the Garden Salad, the Pesto Pasta Chicken Caesar, and the Newk’s Steakhouse Salad. These pair well with one of the restaurant’s soups: Chicken Tortilla, Lobster and Crab Bisque, Loaded Potato, or Tomato Basil. 

If you’re in the mood for something cheesy and comforting, try one of the chain’s pizza or macaroni and cheese offerings. Order the old reliable option, classic pepperoni, or branch out with Newk’s “Q” Pizza. You can even skip pizza altogether and opt for pasta instead; there are both Five- and Six-Cheese Macaroni and Cheese dishes to dig into. 

Whatever entrée you order must be punctuated by a sweet treat. According to Erwin, every Newk’s dessert is baked by one of 12 full-time bakers. One of the newest desserts, a peanut butter chocolate cake so delicious that Erwin can’t wait to get it into guests’ hands, debuted mid-October. 

Regular Newk’s guests — he prefers to refer to them as guests rather than customers because, in Erwin’s words, “We feel like you’re guests in our home” — will probably notice that the peanut butter chocolate cake isn’t the only new addition to the menu this fall. A few brand-new dishes and a few returning favorites, like the Grilled Steak Sandwich, hit the menu in October, too. 

“Our guests have really wanted that item to come back,” Erwin says of the Grilled Steak Sandwich, “so that’s a big win for us.” 

The return of the beloved sandwich and a handful of other items that had been discontinued since the limited menu during the COVID pandemic is certainly a big win for the local franchise. But an even bigger win for the crew? That’s staying in business for so long. The Monroe location on Tower Drive has been around the longest, and the West Monroe and Ruston locations celebrate their tenth anniversaries this year. Operating a business for more than a decade is no small feat, especially in the notoriously difficult restaurant industry and in such relatively small communities.

Erwin attributes the trio of restaurants’ success to the teams they’ve assembled for each location and, of course, the loyal guests. 

“We really just want everyone to know how much we appreciate all of the support we’ve had over the past 15 years,” he says. “It’s been amazing. All the regular guests we see, we really do appreciate them. It’s our joy to serve and take care of them.” 

Experience the joyful service Erwin’s talking about by visiting or ordering ahead at our nearest Newk’s Eatery location: 2320 Tower Drive in Monroe, 811 Splane Drive in West Monroe, or 301 South Vienna Street in Ruston. You can also get your Newk’s Eatery fix without leaving home, find the restaurant on your favorite food delivery app. Want to stay looped into the franchise’s fundraising efforts or find out which events Newk’s will pop up with and when? Follow each location’s respective Facebook page.