Why Willie Nelson Is A Pretty Big Deal At Texas Roadhouse

There's nothing more Texan than country artist Willie Nelson, so perhaps it's not too surprising that there's a legitimate connection between the "Red Headed Stranger" and chain restaurant Texas Roadhouse. However, you may be surprised to learn that the Southwest-themed restaurant's headquarters isn't even based in its namesake state, but rather, Kentucky. So how did Willie end up with his own section at each and every one of the hundreds of brick-and-mortar restaurants? It all goes back to friendships and farmers.

Kentuckian Kent Taylor, the late founder of Texas Roadhouse, was a local legend himself. He began with a dream of an affordable restaurant that served "Hand-Cut Steaks, Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs, and Ice-Cold Beer." Restaurant lore has it that he pitched the idea more than 80 times, once even chasing down baseball star Larry Bird (unsuccessfully) in an airport to ask for funding. He finally got his wish after famously sketching his restaurant idea on a cocktail napkin for his first funders, local doctors who lived close to his town of Louisville. Texas Roadhouse officially launched in Clarksville, Indiana, on February 17, 1993, and quickly became famous for its affordable steaks and homemade buttery rolls. 

Though the fastest-growing chain restaurant takes pains to imbue a bit of homegrown flavor to its decor (the murals that line every wall are custom-made for each community), there's certainly one "corner" in each restaurant that's considered a staple. This shrine of sorts, humbly called "Willie's Corner," celebrates Nelson's achievements in country music with concert posters, T-shirts, and even a guitar-shaped neon sign.

The late Kent Taylor was heralded for being a people-first leader who was involved in various philanthropic organizations when he wasn't running a global restaurant chain. In 2020, he famously chose to forgo his base salary and incentive bonus instead to pay his front-line workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Nelson, on the other hand, is a native Texan who became famous for his outlaw country music in the early 1970s. Also no stranger to activism, Willie founded Farm Aid in 1985, along with fellow musicians Neil Young and John Mellencamp. The nonprofit holds an annual benefit concert to support small American farmers, and it's where Nelson and Taylor fatefully met.

The pair bonded over their shared love of Texas heritage, philanthropic causes, and late-into-the-night poker sessions. Taylor was such a fan that he commonly dressed up in "Willie braids" around the corporate office, as do many of the servers and patrons of the restaurant's locations. There's even a statue of Taylor at the Louisville headquarters, decked out in the iconic braids, cowboy hat, and an open Hawaiian shirt. Even though Taylor tragically passed in 2021, Willie's Corner continues to live on in each and every restaurant.