A new restaurant is coming to Cypress that will help the area break its chain-oriented dining options. Jason Howard, who has served as a maître d’ at Tony's for the last eight years, will open a restaurant called Jaxton's in a new 150,000 square-foot waterfront development called The Boardwalk at Towne Lake.
As he drove past the development from his home in Cypress to Greenway Plaza, Howard tells CultureMap he became intrigued enough by the idea of opening a restaurant to contact developer Caldwell Companies about the property.
"I think the over-the-top, attention to detail (style), gets lost in suburbia. Obviously, that’s my expertise, and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing the most."
"When I saw the opportunity to not only be closer to home but also to deliver something different, that’s when I decided to look into it and create a concept that I think the area is lacking," Howard says. "When I dine, I always have to drive into town. I commute to work. I commute to play. When I saw there was something in my own backyard, I was intrigued by that. Then the entrepreneur in me had me thinking I’m not the only one."
Howard says that when Jaxton's opens in the spring of 2016 the menu will draw on both the Italian cuisine he's familiar with from Tony's as well as French cuisine from his mother. Look for wood-fired pizzas and crepes on the menu that will be executed by chef Lauren Hudgens. "She’s great with using more healthy flavor profiles. She’s into herbs and spices instead of butter and salt," Howard says.
Unlike the chain restaurants Howard says have "overrun" Cypress, Jaxton's will focus on both high-quality food and service, which is the big lesson he learned from working for Tony Vallone. "At Tony’s, we serve the big oil execs and all the head honchos, but what sort of gets passed over is everyone gets the same treatment," Howard explains.
"Whether you’re a CEO or coming in for an anniversary once a year, everyone gets treated like royalty. I think the over-the-top, attention to detail (style), gets lost in suburbia. Obviously, that’s my expertise, and that’s what I’m looking forward to doing the most. Spoiling the people of Cypress like they haven’t been before."
Jason Howard, seen here with his wife Sarah and his son Jaxton, is leaving Tony's to open a restaurant in Cypress.
