“Groot Hospitality debuts Komodo, a Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant, in Dallas at The Epic”
The flourishing Miami-based Groot Hospitality, owned by renowned entrepreneur David Grutman, has unveiled its Southeast Asian offering, Komodo, to Dallas. The Dallas restaurant, situated within The Epic, marks Groot Hospitality’s second Komodo location, and its first outside the Miami market. Grutman cites the development of The Epic, led by KDC and Dallas-based Westdale, as the driving force behind Groot’s decision to enter the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) market, given Uber’s forthcoming headquarters in the vicinity.
Grutman’s nationwide expansion plan strategically considers a considerable number of visitors who travelled from Dallas to Miami, making it a profitable expansion location for Groot. Komodo is a hit in Miami, with the flagship site located in the area producing $41 million in revenue and becoming the top-grossing restaurant in the country in 2022. Three of Groot Hospitality’s 10 concepts ranked among the top 20 of Restaurant Business Online’s list of the Top 100 Independent Restaurants. Swan, a seasonal ingredient-focused restaurant initiated in collaboration with Pharrell Williams, was placed third, while Papi’s Steak, a steakhouse developed in conjunction with hedge fund manager David ‘Papi’ Einhorn, was positioned at No. 18.
Komodo Dallas offers the same menu as its flagship site in Miami, complete with extra meat-based offerings aimed at Texans. The new meat-centred menu additions include quail, Texas wagyu beef, fried chicken, and the Grutman Pastrami Egg Roll, made with locally sourced products. The 22,500 square-foot, two-story Komodo eatery showcases modern and custom-printed wallpaper from Toronto artist Candice Kaye.
As part of Invited Celebrity Classic presented by Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, a PGA Tour Champions competition, Invited awarded grants totalling $20,000 to various non-profit organisations. Before the event, Tim Brown, Roger Clemens, Dicky Pride, Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez, and DeMarcus Ware, who competed in a friendly game of golf at the Globe Life Field’s home plate, raised money for DFW nonprofits. Team Football, led by Ware and Brown, won the competition, and the First Tee of Greater Dallas, as well as the Momentous Institute and First Tee Fort Worth, were each awarded cash prizes.
M Crowd Restaurant Group, the parent company of Mi Cocina, Taco Diner, and The Mercury, has purchased a 25,300-square-foot office and technology building in Carrollton to consolidate its corporate headquarters, employee training, test kitchen, warehouse, and distribution centre. The firm will take occupancy in the fall of 2023. The move coincides with M Crowd’s plans to better brand its products and expand its operations.
The Realm at Castle Hills, a mammoth mixed-use development worth $1.5 billion located in Lewisville, has gained three new occupants: Cheeky Monkeys, 206 Luster Grill, and Cachet Salons & Spa. Cheeky Monkeys, a play zone and birthday celebration centre; 206 Luster Grill, offering Seattle-style teriyaki food; and Cachet Salons & Spa, a luxurious lease area for salon specialists, will all occupy over 7,250 sq ft, over 2,257 sq ft, and over 10,962 sq ft respectively when the site is completed.
During the summer of 2024, the Travis Street Hospitality Group will introduce Le Marais, a French restaurant concept. Stephan Courseau, the firm’s founder and CEO, will introduce his first-ever restaurant serving French fare at Rosewood Mansion. Guests can enjoy genuine French cuisine produced from locally sourced components inside an elegant location complemented by refined design, described as a sophisticated social and sensory encounter. The Travis Street Hospitality Group firmly believes that establishing itself as a prestigious gastronomic destination via the introduction of Le Marais restaurant will strengthen Dallas’s global reputation as a cultural and culinary capital.
