James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock has partnered with Nick Pihakis of Pihakis Restaurant Group and Southall Farm and Inn founder Paul Mishkin in the opening of the second location of his popular fast casual concept, Joyland, in Birmingham, AL this spring. This will be the first of several new Joyland locations slated to open across the country in the coming months.
Joyland is an imaginative concept inspired by the original fast-food restaurants of yesteryear. The concept came from Brock’s innate curiosity and extensive research and development, combining quick service and indulgence with the innovation and exploration he has 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. Its flagship location opened in East Nashville in 2020.
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 Doughnuts & Buns 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.
As a mentor and investor, Mishkin has been deeply involved in the development of all of Brock’s Nashville concepts – Audrey, Bar Continental, and June – in addition to Joyland. He brings keen financial acumen to the group; he started his career as a stock options trader and later founded Simplex Trading, a technology-driven proprietary trading firm. He later switched gears to focus on hospitality, founding and opening luxury farm resort Southall Farm and Inn in 2022.
