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Texadelphia to blanket Texas
Texadelphia operator Tom Landis says he has secured the rights to expand the Philly cheese-steak sandwich restaurant throughout the Lone Star state. In an agreement reached with Texadelphia founder and Philadelphia native Joel Stanley, who operates two of the restaurants in Austin, Landis and his partners, Brian Mitts and Mike Rossi, must open at least 20 Texadelphia restaurants within the next three years. “We want to keep as many of them under our umbrella as possible, but we’re also looking at franchising,” Landis says. “Anybody that wants to open a store in Texas will have to go through us.” According to Landis, the deal includes fee payments to Stanley for each Texadelphia Landis and his partners open.
How lucrative could this deal be? Landis says a Houston investor recently offered $5.2 million for an 80 percent stake in his two existing stores (on Leonard St. off McKinney and in the Old Town Shopping Center) plus a third set to open at Coit and Campbell within the next few months, an offer he and his partners refused.
Hash seasonings
Sullivan’s, the new red meatery from Del Frisco’s owner Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, will be linked to a jazz, blues, and swing club dubbed Ringside at Sullivan’s. The steakhouse was developed by Michael Archer, former president of Morton’s of Chicago, and is scheduled to open in mid-October off the Dallas North Tollway…In addition to Brazilian grill houses (churrascarias) Fogo de Chao and the soon-to-be-opened Texas de Brazil in Addison, Rodizio Grill, a Denver-based three-unit chain, will hit Arlington this September. Rodizio is a Brazilian term denoting continuous service of grilled meats from skewers. And Arlington must really get the blood pumping, even through vessels clogged from relentless servings of meat. A press release announcing the restaurant notes three times how “excited” Rodizio’s founders are to bring their “totally unique” concept to Arlington. Maybe they don’t get away from the rotisserie much.
List watch
Heavier metal hit the Lone Star Wine Competition this past weekend. Out of 115 Texas winery entries, 56 medals (seven gold, 18 silver, 31 bronze) were awarded, compared with 46 medals (two gold, 11 silver, 33 bronze) out of 130 entries doled out last year. Does this mean Texas wine is getting better?
–Mark Stuertz
E-mail dish at markstz@juno.com.
