What's Eric Eating Episode 168

Houston restaurant veteran predicts 2021 dining trends, plus a chic French bistro

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Jonathan Horowitz joins Sandler to discuss his new venture and the future of Houston's restaurant industry. Earlier this year, Horowitz left his role as president of Legacy Restaurants (The Originnal Ninfa's, Antone's Po'Boys) to establish Convive Hospitality Consulting. In that role, he's taken on a number of projects, including working with Treebeards to open its new Memorial location, the upcoming Palace Social bowling and entertainment concept, and more.

After going through some of Horowitz's projects, Sandler turns the conversation to the current and future state of Houston restaurants. Whatever happens with the pandemic, Horowitz predicts that some of the changes it has forced restaurants to make will likely become permanent. Clients he's speaking with are including online ordering, expanded outdoor seating, and third party delivery in their business plans for new projects.

"Looking at the overall trend of the industry, even pre-pandemic, it was trending more towards fast casual, convenience, healthy, technologically astute places with convenience and a value proposition," Horowitz says. "I think we'll see that even more. Places will be smaller, oriented more for take-out . . . things like that. This whole experience is pushing that change a lot faster."

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Felice Sloan of Swanky Maven discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Benjy Levit's decision to sell The Classic in order to focus on Local Foods; Tonight & Tomorrow, the new restaurant opening in La Colombe D'or, the boutique hotel in Montrose; and Ninja Ramen's new partnership with Click Virtual Food Hall.

In the restaurants of the week segment, they rave about the elegant French food at Bistro 555, Genevieve Guy's new concept for Memorial-area staple Bistro Provence. They also describe their recent meals at the new Treebeards.

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Horowitz worked with Treebeards on its new location in Memorial.

Courtesy of Treebeards

Horowitz worked with Treebeards on its new location in Memorial.

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New chicken restaurant flies into Houston with 'gluten-friendly' tendies

Courtesy of Starbird

Starbird sells chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, and more.

A local restaurant group is bringing a California-based chicken concept to Texas. Mac Haik Restaurant Group announced it has reached an agreement with Starbird to open locations in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

Founded in the San Francisco area in 2016, Starbird is a fast casual restaurant with 19 locations in California and Colorado. It serves fried chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken wings, and salads that are made with chicken that’s “all-natural, never-frozen, antibiotic-free” and covered in a “gluten-friendly breading” that’s cooked fresh to order, according to a press release.

Pair them with sides such as cole slaw, french fries, crispy Thai Brussels sprouts, or elote. Diners can dip their tenders in 11 sauces, including Greek yogurt ranch, Thai herb aioli, honey mustard, honey chipotle bbq, and more.

Part of Mac Haik Enterprises Ltd, Mac Haik Restaurant Group operates a number of franchised restaurants, including breakfast concept First Watch Daytime Café, the Original ChopShop, and Due’ Cucina. It will open Kirkwood, an upscale supper club, later this spring in a West Houston office building that’s also owned by MHE.

“We evaluate opportunities through the lens of long-term brand relevance, not just unit growth,” MHRG COO Dan Anfinson said in a statement. “Starbird delivers a level of culinary quality and operational sophistication that we believe is still underserved in the premium fast-casual chicken category, particularly in Texas. The brand has a clear point of view and the systems to scale responsibly. That combination is rare, and we’re excited to introduce it thoughtfully across our markets.”

The company intends to open as many as 36 locations beginning in 2027, but MHRG is still in the process of securing specific locations. It will announce which city will be first to receive a Starbird at a later time.

“This agreement reflects the strength of our business model and the clarity of our long-term vision,” added Starbird CEO Greg Levin. “As we mark our 10th anniversary, this is shaping up to be our biggest year yet in terms of expansion. Texas is a critical market for us moving forward, and partnering with an experienced organization like Mac Haik Restaurant Group allows us to grow thoughtfully while staying true to what makes Starbird special.”

Courtesy of Starbird

Starbird sells chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, chicken sandwiches, and more.

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