2018 RH 25: Front Burner Restaurants L.P.

The 2018 class of Restaurant Hospitality's annual RH 25 looks at bold moves made by multiconcept operators — the companies that are crossing segments, shifting operations, building big or pivoting in some way. There is no ranking. These are companies to watch. See all concepts >>

HQ: Addison, Texas

Leadership: Randy DeWitt, CEO; and Jack Gibbons, president

Systemwide sales FY2017: $450 million

Concepts: Twin Peaks (85), Velvet Taco (9), Whiskey Cake (6), Sixty Vines (2), Legacy Hall, Haywire, Ida Claire, The Keeper, Mexican Sugar and The Ranch at Las Colinas

Front Burner Restaurants’ plan to become a food hall operator is coming to fruition.

The company, founded in 1994, has parlayed its ownership of Twin Peaks, known for its provocatively clad waitstaff, into a growing portfolio of distinct concepts ranging from the fast-casual Velvet Taco to the fine-dining Ranch at Las Colinas. Most high-profile is the 55,000-square-foot Legacy Hall food emporium and Box Garden entertainment venue in Plano, Texas, that opened in December and has served as a springboard for an as-yet-unnamed 100,000-square-foot food hall in Nashville, Tenn., expected to open in 2020. The group hopes to do more food halls in more cities with its Food Hall Co. subsidiary.

“Each one of these food halls we want to tie to the local community,” said Jack Gibbons, Front Burner president. “Each one will have a different name and vibe.”

The two-story Nashville food hall, for example, will have a rooftop brewery, music stage and food truck park with breathtaking views of the Music City’s downtown. The company in 2019 plans to open as many as six more Whiskey Cakes and at least two more Velvet Tacos and one more Sixty Vines, a casual-dining brand that offers 45 wines on tap at different-sized pours. Front Burner expects to end this year with 108 restaurants.

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