When Brandon Mier began washing dishes in a local Madisonville restaurant in 1995, he never dreamed it would lead to a lifelong passion for creating food and fun for others………and so began the journey that would eventually lead to the existence of Hook’d Up Bar and Grill.

After serving in the military as an Airborne Army Ranger stationed in Savannah, GA, Brandon decided to resume his love for the restaurant industry which, naturally, led him back to South Louisiana. It was while working corporately that he was introduced to Tommy Vervaeke, a former member of the US Army Intelligence Department, a corporate restaurant owner and a comically- intelligent business man. Obviously, the two became fast friends. It did not take long for Brandon and Tommy to recognize their potential as business partners based on their common love for fun, food and friends. Late one night, after a few cases of beer out at the Flying V Farm, the vision of what would come to be ‘Hook’d Up’ was formed and the search for the perfect location was on!

From Lafayette, LA, to Biloxi, MS, the duo looked at locations that would be a perfect fit for their newly formed, yet to be named concept. It wasn’t until driving home from work one afternoon, when Brandon noticed the “Restaurant For Rent” sign with an arrow pointing down the bridge to Marina Del Ray in beautiful Madisonville, LA, that the pieces began falling into place.  After one look around, Brandon and Tommy knew the quaint, character-filled, marina-overlooking building was the perfect match for their vision of a laid back, family friendly restaurant with a “Cheers” type atmosphere, not to mention the bonus of the most beautiful scenery nature has to offer!

From creating the delicious menu to picking just the right name, every detail of the concept had to deeply reflect the amazing culture and community of Lake Pontchartrain on the Northshore. Starting out with a nautical theme seemed like the natural direction to go but they wanted to be sure the name clearly demonstrated the type of restaurant they were creating. After lots of consideration and many different ideas and options, Hooked Up was mutually decided upon, but to make it fit the two outdoorsmen (as well as look super cool on a logo) they decided to take out the “e” and use an apostrophe instead.  From the “Shake Dat” seasoned, hand pattied burgers to the signature Dock Rocker and Fish Bucket, Hook’d Up is the perfect place to Get Hook’d – especially in South Louisiana!