Hospitality veterans Sean Brock, Nick Pihakis, and Paul Mishkin will open the brand’s second location in Avondale on August 15
This Thursday, the popular Nashville, Tennessee-based fast-casual concept Joyland will open its second-ever location right in the heart of Birmingham, Alabama’s Avondale neighborhood. Through a partnership between James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock, Pihakis Restaurant Group CEO Nick Pihakis, and Southall Farm & Inn founder Paul Mishkin, the opening marks an era of growth for the Joyland brand and will be the first of several new Joyland locations slated to open across the South in the coming months.
“Joyland started as an exciting passion project and a restaurant that my kids could also enjoy, but it turned into so much more. Following overwhelming support from our Nashville neighbors, it became clear that the kid inside all of us wants to have fun when eating, too,” says Brock. “Nick and I have been friends for a long time, so it’s been such an honor to work alongside him to bring one of my favorite concepts to the Birmingham community.”
Joyland is an imaginative concept inspired by the original fast-food restaurants of yesteryear. The concept stemmed from Brock’s innate curiosity and extensive research and development, combining quick service and indulgence with the innovation and exploration he experienced in some of the world’s best restaurants. What appears as a simple menu of biscuits, burgers, fried chicken, and more, has been furiously studied, tested, and perfected over countless trials, utilizing pioneering food technologies and the highest quality ingredients to create a delightfully fun experience that harks back to the heyday of fast food. The concept’s flagship location opened in East Nashville in 2020.
Brock’s business partner Pihakis is no stranger to seeking out promising concepts and stepping in to help them grow. In 2017, he partnered with longtime friend and collaborator Rodney Scott on the creation and expansion of Rodney Scott’s BBQ, and several years later, co-founded and scaled HERO with Wil Drake. The partnership with Brock blossomed following a yearslong friendship, during which they were both members of the FatBack Collective, a group of Southern chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, and others dedicated to reinvigorating the dwindling practice of small hog farming, among other endeavors.
“Sean shares my enthusiasm for bringing people together through food, which is one of the many reasons we’ve stayed in close touch over the years,” says Pihakis. “It’s been a true joy working with him to officially introduce Joyland and Sean’s creativity to my Birmingham neighbors.”
As a mentor and investor, Mishkin has been deeply involved in the development of Brock’s Nashville concepts – Audrey and June – in addition to Joyland. He brings keen financial acumen to the group; he started his career as a stock trader and later founded Simplex Technologies, a technology-driven proprietary trading firm. He later switched gears to focus on hospitality, founding and opening the luxury resort Southall Farm & Inn in 2022.
Mirroring the Nashville location, the Joyland Avondale menu features Chef Sean Brock’s twists on classic favorites, including the popular Joystick, a cross between Japanese kushikatsu and Mississippi’s tradition of fried chicken-on-a-stick; buttermilk biscuits, which are available gluten-free; a variety of handmade-to-order shakes, and a revolving hand pie that changes seasonally. Brock’s unwavering commitment to thoughtfully sourced ingredients is evident throughout the menu, with organic chicken from family-owned Springer Mountain and a proprietary Joyland beef blend (incorporated into the single and double burgers, as well as famed CrustBurger) from Bear Creek Farm, a Tennessee-based, sustainable and all-natural cattle and heritage hog farm. The beverage program includes an assortment of local draft beers and boozy milkshakes. On Saturday and Sunday, Joyland Avondale will offer various brunch cocktails, including Mimosas and Bloody Marys.
Designed by Angie Mosier, the dining room in Joyland is meant to evoke feelings of nostalgia and playfulness. With bright pops of primary colors, the space invites guests of all ages to enjoy an experience much like the heyday of fast food. Outside, guests can enjoy a comfortable patio space and three brightly painted murals by Marcus Fetch, a Birmingham-based muralist. The indoor dining room seats 84 guests and the outdoor patio seats 49 guests.
Joyland Avondale will be open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm and Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am – 10:00 pm. For more information, follow along at @eatatjoyland on Instagram.
Pihakis Restaurant Group is a collective of restaurateurs, chefs, and creatives coupled with technology, management, and accounting professionals who came together with a singular goal of creating restaurants with the highest levels of care for their people, their guests, and their food. Founded by Nick Pihakis and partners in 2014, the group has grown to eight brands including Rodney Scott’s BBQ, HERO, Little Donkey, Tasty Town Greek Restaurant and Lounge, Luca Lagotto, Luca Mercato Lagotto, Magnolia Point, and Joyland. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the company operates restaurants throughout the South in cities including Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Charleston, SC; Montgomery, AL, and Nashville, TN. The very core of the business is built around growing a kernel of culinary inspiration into a thriving business that provides delicious food, pleasant environments, and employment opportunities to local communities. The Pihakis team believes that restaurants are places to enjoy – the food, the company, the atmosphere, and, above all, the experience of belonging. For more information go to pihakis.com.