Loving On People First

Building Community Through Hospitality, Culture, and Connection

By Caitlyn Burrus | Photography courtesy of Wilco Hospitality

For Wilco Hospitality founder Will Haver, hospitality has never been a tactic or a trend. It is instinct.

“I was born with hospitality in my heart,” Haver says. Long before he opened his own restaurant, he recognized that he loved entertaining and serving people. In college, at the University of Montevallo, he started his first restaurant job, and that early inclination sharpened into certainty. “A light bulb went off,” he recalls. “Restaurants, and especially hospitality, really fed my soul.” He fell in love with the teamwork, the fast pace, and what he describes as the rush of performing for guests night after night.

After five years in the industry, Haver knew he wanted to open his own place. He admits he moved faster than he should have, learning lessons the hard way. That early humility would later shape the measured, culture-first approach that defines Wilco Hospitality today, as well as its two cornerstone concepts, which originated in Birmingham, Alabama: Otey’s Tavern and Taco Mama.

Walkable and intimate, it carries the kind of small-town warmth where everyone knows each other.

By the time Haver and his wife, Leigh, purchased Otey’s in 2007, the tavern already held deep roots in Crestline Village. Originally opened in 1989 as Cacky’s by Catherine Oztekin and later acquired by musician John Otey Hutchinson, the bar evolved into a lively gathering place for live music, where Hutchinson’s band, later known as The Hurlers, played most nights. As the concept grew, Otey recruited industry veteran Richard “Tight” Cheney to run the bar and later brought in Chef Rodney Davis to expand the menu, helping shape the food program that would become central to the tavern’s identity. When the Havers stepped in, they built upon that foundation, refining the experience while preserving the spirit that had made it a neighborhood fixture. Today, Otey’s is known not only for its live music but also for its award winning menu, lively events, and status as a true community hangout.

Crestline Village itself helped define the restaurant. Walkable and intimate, it carries the kind of small-town warmth where everyone knows each other. Haver describes it as having a “Cheers” type vibe, and Otey’s fits naturally within that fabric. When an opportunity arose to open a second location in the Edgewood neighborhood of Homewood, Alabama, it was not part of a master expansion plan. The fit simply felt right. Edgewood shares a similar village atmosphere, filled with residents who walk to their favorite restaurants and shops. The goal was not to duplicate Crestline, but to allow the new location to develop its own personality. Locals now affectionately refer to it as “Hoteys,” a sign that it has become part of the neighborhood in its own way.

Just minutes from Otey’s original location, Haver founded Taco Mama in 2011. The concept was inspired by his fascination with hole-in-the-wall burrito shops and taquerias, discovered through years of travel. He loved the food, the feel, and of course, the margaritas. From those experiences, he began shaping an idea, tailoring it to the available space and to the community he knew so well.

Design was central from the beginning. Haver’s mother is a well-known Birmingham interior designer, and he says that influence runs in his blood. Taco Mama was created to feel festive, vibrant, and full of life. The energy was intentionally different from Otey’s, but the underlying values and culture remained the same.

At the outset, expansion was not part of the vision. Haver had been humbled in his early career and was focused solely on creating a place people would enjoy. It was about a year into operations before he allowed himself to consider opening a second location. Even then, he was cautious. Protecting quality, performance, and intentionality mattered more than dreaming big. Growth, when it came, happened organically. Taco Mama expanded into multiple states, but Haver insists that it begins and ends with great people. Culture drives everything. “We grow through our people,” he says. Wilco Hospitality looks for high-level operators who align with their values, and expansion often follows those leaders to the communities where they want to live and work.

The process is both data-driven and instinctual. The team evaluates numbers and market viability, but they also spend time in prospective communities, eating at local restaurants, talking to residents, and getting a genuine feel for the area. Haver calls it the “eye and feel” test. They want confidence not only in the demographics but in the spirit of the place.

As Taco Mama entered new markets, adaptability became one of its strengths. The concept appeals to a wide range of age groups and fits comfortably in a variety of settings. Whenever possible, Wilco incorporates local businesses and products, reinforcing a sense of belonging in each new city. Often, former Birmingham residents who have relocated reach out, asking for Taco Mama to come to their new home. Those connections provide both encouragement and insight.

One of the most pivotal decisions in Wilco’s growth journey was remaining independent.

Haver credits a tremendous group of talented people for the company’s success and values the ability to shape its future without outside pressure. “What we do matters, but who we do it with matters most,” he says.

That philosophy extends deeply into leadership. Haver looks for people who naturally have hospitality in their souls, individuals who bring positive energy, humility, confidence, and pride in their work. Wilco hires based on character rather than skill alone. Culture, he believes, is built through relationships and reinforced through actions. The company speaks what it wants to live and strives to follow through.

Mentorship plays a significant role. Seasoned leaders invest daily in developing younger team members, and Haver takes particular pride in watching employees who began in hourly roles grow into management positions. Seeing someone work hard, earn an opportunity, and step confidently into leadership is, for him, one of the most rewarding aspects of the business. It is a cycle of pouring into others because someone once poured into you.

Both Otey’s and Taco Mama were always intended to be gathering spaces. That sense of connection was part of their foundation. Haver returns often to a simple phrase: loving on people. It captures the essence of what he believes hospitality should be. Performance is how that love is expressed. Guests respond with loyalty and support, and relationships deepen over time.

When reflecting on Wilco Hospitality’s success, Haver does not point first to the number of locations or the markets entered. He speaks about culture and relationships. He is proud to be part of something that seeks to have a positive impact on people and hopes to continue doing so for a long time.

Looking ahead, he remains energized by the future of hospitality in the South, where warmth and welcome are woven into daily life. Wilco’s focus will remain on Otey’s and Taco Mama, though he acknowledges the possibility of new concepts in the future. For now, the approach is steady and grounded. The team will keep its head down, continue to perform at a high level, and allow growth to follow purpose. In an industry often defined by rapid scaling and fleeting trends, Wilco Hospitality’s story feels authentic. For Will Haver, hospitality is not just the business he chose, it is the calling he recognized early on, and it remains the compass guiding every next step.

— V —

---

For more information on Wilco Hospitality’s institutions, visit TacoMamaOnline.com and OteysTavern.com. Make sure to follow @oteystavern and @eatattacomama on Instagram.