Texas Roadhouse is an American steakhouse chain restaurant chain specializing in steaks of a southern and Texas style cuisine style, it’s a sister to Texas Roadhouse Inc., which is also based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company took its name from a street in Houston, the location was decided after the owners saw an image of a shack in the Houston postcard section. And the name has stuck. Since opening in early 1992, the company has quickly become a Texas hot spot for both tourists and residents. The atmosphere of the roadhouse combines Southern hospitality with a Texas flavor, and the dishes use fresh ingredients that are prepared by the staff using traditional Texas methods.
The Texas Roadhouse chain started with one restaurant in Houston, Texas. Over the years the company quickly grew to include multiple locations in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and beyond. They have also launched international restaurants in China, Japan, and Singapore. And now they’re looking forward to expanding even further, hopefully onto even more states in the future. This means the future expansion of the company could extend well beyond the original four Texas locations. The opportunity to expand into other areas presents a great opportunity for a business with a unique business model to enter a new marketplace, one where the demand is strong and the competition is weak, but a solid reputation and commitment to quality customer service and value will deliver great results.
Recently the company announced plans to open two new restaurants in Louisville. One will be in an area of historic Downtown Louisville along the Eastern Kentucky River and the other will be in the Midway district of downtown, adjacent to the airport. Both restaurants will offer a wide variety of meals and drinks on a variety of menu items, as well as take-out and delivery options.
Louisvitton Roadhouse presented an interesting concept to an audience in 2021: it purchased and closed down an old warehouse and restaurant known as the Grandstaff Warehouse. According to the owner and former general manager, Jack Swartz, the decision to purchase and close the warehouse and restaurant was not based solely on financial reasons. Indeed, there were some difficult times ahead: the economic recession and loss of several major clients; and the fact that many of the employees had been let go as well. However, when the company brought in its management team, the idea for the new concept was immediately accepted by the entire staff, and the restaurant soon began to steadily pick up momentum. “The timing was right,” said Swartz.
The company that was buying the old warehouse and restaurant was not a major player in the local or national marketplace, but the timing and the strategy were ideal. “The timing worked out really well for both parties,” he said. “We got a good price, we got a good location, and we found a partner who could help us increase our menu and really expand the customer base.” Together with their acquisition of the Grandstaff Warehouse, and the subsequent opening of the lone star steakhouse, Swartz explained that the company’s goal was to “create Texas Roadhouse-like experiences… that reflect our personal flare and flavor.”
Today, as Texas Roadhouse continues to grow, the company has introduced similar-styled establishments in New York and Las Vegas and is even considering an expansion into the Southeast. However, according to the owner and former general manager of the now-defunct Outback Steakhouse in Dallas, the plan for the future does not include additional locations anywhere else in the Lone Star State. “We already have too much to handle,” said Swartz. “We are looking at growth issues, and there are no immediate plans for Texas.”
In the months and years to come, as Texas Roadhouse continues to expand its footprint, similar chains may emerge, particularly in areas outside of the state where there is a need for that specific type of restaurant. “I’d be surprised if Texas saw a Texas Roadhouse chain leader,” concluded Swartz, “as the rest of the nation would probably continue to grow. The only place you’d see two Texas Roadhouse restaurants would be in Houston and Austin.”
Today’s state of Texas is no longer just a cattle ranching state but rather has evolved into a “tech culture,” one focused on technology. The Lone Star State is becoming known for being “the city of Texas,” and many residents enjoy the “fun, quirky” nature of this rapidly growing destination. Consequently, the Texas roadhouse restaurant chain may be in for a long, sustained period of success, as it continues to expand into new markets. “There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t see a long-term future for the Texas roadhouse restaurant chain,” concluded Swartz. “I see a lot of room for growth in this part of Texas.”
