Richardson has
experienced an uptick in retail activity the past few months with the
introduction of new restaurant concepts throughout the city. These new
establishments are shaping the way Richardson
residents live, work and play.

Greg Cooney has hit another home run for his II Creeks Plaza
on Custer Parkway at Lookout
Drive with the addition of two exciting new
establishments, Shady’s Burgers and Brewhaha and Pearl
Cup Coffee.

Shady’s is a unique new burger joint located in II Creeks
plaza in the heart of Richardson’s
Canyon Creek neighborhood. Conceptualized
by six Canyon Creek residents, Shady’s aims to offer great food at a
reasonable price and a casual, family environment. The menu includes a variety
of creative burgers, sandwiches, salads, beer and wine.

Pearl Cup Coffee,
renowned for its award-winning Pearl Latte, has also opened in II Creeks Plaza. For now, owners Rita Davis and Carlene Saelg are only serving the coffee you know and love as well as a few
select pastries. A full menu is coming soon. The new II Creeks location also has a gorgeous, dog-friendly patio. Be sure to check out all of the fantastic restaurants and shops that II Creeks has to offer!

Canyon Creek area isn’t the only area attracting new
restaurants. Richardson Heights
Shopping Center at the southwest
corner of Belt Line and Central Expressway is also home to a new burger
restaurant.  Haystack Burgers and Barley
just opened on the south end of the same building where Alamo Drafthouse is
under construction. Two local
Richardson couples, Kevin and Jenny
Galvan and Rob and Christine Wondoloski, own the restaurant together. The Galvans had a vision to start a different kind of fast casual
restaurant with amazing food. The Wondoloskis had a vision of growing a
business, so a great partnership was formed. Kevin is the fourth generation of
restaurant owners in his family. Kevin and Jenny owned and operated Ricardos’s
Tex Mex in Allen for five years, and some of the family recipes can be found at
Haystack. Kevin will be managing the daily operations of Haystack. Burgers are
all made to order with a variety of toppings. If burgers aren’t your thing, the
menu also includes salads and chicken options. The restaurant also has a patio for outdoor dining. Haystack fits well with the culture of Alamo Drafthouse, which will open later
this summer.

Another new restaurant has opened at the northeast corner of
Arapaho Road at Plano
Road.  Zuki Japanese Bistro (formerly Hanabi)
is receiving great reviews. As one diner quoted on Yelp, “Here at Zuki, it’s all about the rolls”.  Also a family-owned venue, Zuki offers a
great selection of rolls (20+), a variety of Bento Box meals, bowls, grilled
salmon, chicken and beef entrees.  

Mena’s Tex-Mex Grill, a new Mexican
restaurant concept, will open sometime in June at Eastside. The restaurant will
be a 2^nd location by this Carrollton-based family operation, in
business for more than 25 years. Mena’s is located in the ground floor corner
space directly across (east) from the high-rise office building at 740 E. Campbell.

Also newly opened this year, Snappy Salads is at 320 W.
Campbell just behind Luby’s
Cafeteria.  Finally, a great new salad
venue for Richardson that is “so
good, even guys like our salads!” This is their 4^th location with
other sites at North Park, Plano,
and Preston/Forest; a 5^th location will open soon in Southlake. In
business since 2005, Snappy’s is a Dallas-based company founded by Chris
Dahlander. Chris takes pride in emphasizing the company’s environmental
awareness and sustainability through the use of recycled materials throughout
the restaurant, energy conservation and by bringing in more organic and
humanely-raised food products. Read about the restaurant in this Nation’s
Restaurant News article.

Each of these restaurants is a fine example of the quality
of venues that are coming to Richardson.
We look forward to more growth throughout 2013!