Fort Worth officer who made viral video opens Mexican restaurant in former Rig space

The world got to know Fort Worth police spokesman Daniel Segura in early February when his Facebook video entitled Calma Amigos! (Calm Friends!) went viral and attracted more than 1.7 million views.

Now, he’s staking another claim to fame: as owner of a new Mexican buffet and steakhouse in a landmark Fort Worth restaurant location.

Segura and his business partners opened Cabaña on Jan. 2, in the space formerly occupied by The Rig, a budget steakhouse that closed in April after 36 years. The Rig was perhaps best known for its roadside drilling-rig sign, which Segura and his three partners acquired in the sale. They are having it refurbished to add a 22-foot longhorn logo and LED lights. (The restaurant is still in its soft opening stage, and will have a grand opening when the sign and a few other structural changes are complete.)

Segura said he was initially looking to invest in an event space or dance hall, but when The Rig building became available, he said: “Why not? Let’s go into the restaurant business.”

He and his partners, who own Los Pastores restaurant, bakery and butcher shop on East Rosedale, have put in new floors and made a lot of other upgrades, including changing out nearly all of the kitchen equipment, Segura said.

Cabaña still has steaks on the menu, but it also offers an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet for lunch and dinner ($11.95). Segura said that includes fresh salad bar fixings, plus four or five main entrees, such as chile relleno, beef and pork stews, chicken fried steak and chicken fried chicken. He also said the buffet includes fresh enchiladas upon request.

Segura, who joined the FWPD in 2002 and now serves as a public information officer, made headlines Feb. 1 when he posted a Facebook video responding to fears he had been hearing in the Hispanic community after President Donald Trump issued an executive order on immigration.

In the the video, Segura can be seen in his patrol car, assuring residents in Spanish that “the Fort Worth police department does not enforce federal laws, such as immigration laws. ... And if you are a victim of a crime, we don’t care about your immigration status. You have the same rights as anyone else who lives in Fort Worth. We are going to defend you. We are going to protect you.”

After the video went viral, Fort Worth officials said Segura was speaking for himself and the video did not necessarily represent the views of the city. They also reiterated Fort Worth is not a sanctuary city.

But Segura said response to the video, then and now, has been mostly positive.

“What I said on that video, it is nothing strange for people who know me,” he said. “Fort Worth has always been very friendly to its citizens. They know we work for them. ... In my position as community liaison for the Hispanic community, they have questions, and they have our trust.”

Segura admits going into the restaurant business is “a big difference from police work.”

But he hopes the restaurant, in addition to serving satisfying food, will give something back to the community.

“The way I see it, the four partners, we all came from different backgrounds, with the same mentality. Create jobs for friends and family,” said Segura, who estimates Cabaña will have 20 to 30 employees. “My priority is my police work. But this is a great investment because we are putting money into the city of Fort Worth. The Rig was on its last breath. So we’re reviving a building and bringing back business to that area.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Fort Worth officer who made viral video opens Mexican restaurant in former Rig space."