Who’s brave enough to open a restaurant now? These owners in Fort Worth, Arlington
This might not be the best time to open a new restaurant.
But that’s what at least five local restaurants are doing after the coronavirus pandemic turned their “soft openings” into take-out and delivery dining.
Seoul-based BB.Q Chicken’s much-awaited Arlington location had barely opened when the pandemic hit. Same for Wishbone & Flynt near downtown in Fort Worth.
Even after restaurants were limited to take-out and delivery, Little Germany and Rufus Bar & Grill went ahead with Fort Worth openings, along with relocated Ruggeri’s in Colleyville.
“I would be lying to you,” Wishbone & Flynt chef Stefon Rishel said, “if I told you I was not stressed out.”
Wishbone & Flynt, 334 Bryan Ave., changed its format completely to sell $40 family-style take-home meals, including meatloaf Friday night and chicken piccata Saturday night.
There’s also a white-cheddar burger seared in duck fat ($12) and a fried-chicken sandwich brined in Best Maid sour-pickle beer from Martin House ($11).
“We learned very quickly that people want family-style meals,” Rishel said.
“Comfort food is winning.”
To stay afloat, new restaurants need:
▪ Big portions.
▪ Low prices.
▪ Facebook and Instagram ads and online ordering.
▪ And a lot of community goodwill, particularly from healthcare workers who must go out on the front lines.
Seoul fried chicken finds friends in Arlington
BB.Q Chicken franchise partner Danny Doan was thrilled to get his Arlington location open.
The Korean chicken restaurants started in the Songpa-gu part of Seoul, serving fried chicken with sauces like honey-garlic, strips and Korean street food like spicy rice cakes (tteok-bokki).
But Doan also has a nurse in his family, so he knows what lies ahead.
“We really do see the devastating effects,” he wrote by email.
BB.Q Chicken also has rallied donors to send hospitals food, he said, “to show the appreciation that we have for the people that risk their lives and hopefully get this economy turned around.”
Lunch platters sell for $10. Whole boneless chickens cost $22-$23 in original, honey-garlic, soy-garlic, original, sweet (gangjeong), mascarpone-cheddar, spicy or “secret spicy.”
The top seller is the boneless honey-garlic, Doan said.
BB.Q Chicken also sells soju, a Korean rice or potato liquor compared to vodka.
It’s open for lunch and dinner daily; 1827 SW Green Oaks Blvd., 682-323-8449, bbqchickenarlington.com.
More new restaurants open for take-out
Other restaurants opening despite restrictions:
▪ Little Germany, owned by former staffers under the original founder at Edelweiss, serves lunch and dinner daily in its new home, 6737 Camp Bowie Blvd.; 682-224-2601, facebook.com/LittleGermanyFwtx.
▪ Rufus Bar & Grill, new in Cityview Centre with the menu and specials from the former Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ, serves dinner nightly at 4608 Bryant Irvin Road.
Rufus sells a $40 family dinner for four people with chicken-fried steak or chicken and two side dishes. There’s also a $35 double-cheeseburger family dinner for four; 817-420-9910, facebook.com/rufusbarandgrill.
▪ Ruggeri’s Italiano’s new location opened at 5604 Colleyville Blvd. It’s open for lunch weekdays and dinner nightly; 817-503-7373, ruggerisitaliano.com..
This story was originally published April 15, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
