Waffle News

New restaurant brings unique waffle-o-licious treats to Richardson

Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream.

Photo by Waffle O'Licious

A food truck that specializes in waffles is hitting the big time with a stand-alone location. Waffle O'Licious, a rising star in the food truck world, will be putting down roots in Richardson at 141 N. Plano Rd., in a location formerly occupied by OMG Tacos.

According to Waffle O'Licious owner/founder Rick Rackley, the restaurant will open in mid-September.

The food truck has been a smash since he launched it in 2018. Opening the restaurant represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

"I've cooked my whole life. My mother taught me how to make biscuits and gravy when I was 8 years old," he says. "I always wanted to have a small restaurant or diner. Once I left the corporate world, I went out and bought a food truck, and it took off."

City requirements specify that you can't just park a food truck at your house. It needs to be at a commissary. Unfortunately, Rackley's commissary is in Grand Prairie, adding a minimum four hours for commute and prep, every time he went out for a job.

Having a restaurant will allow him to not only serve the public from one spot, but it can also serve as his new more conveniently located kitchen.

Waffle O'Licious' menu features Belgian waffles in combinations both classic and creative.

Filed under classic would be waffles topped with chocolate syrup; sliced bananas; strawberries and whipped cream; and the currently trendy chicken and waffles, with a Belgian waffle topped by chicken tenders and maple syrup.

But it's the creative combinations that have made the truck such a success.

One best-seller is the Philly cheesesteak waffle with ribeye, Swiss cheese, sautéed onions, and Southwest sauce, sandwiched between 2 hot Belgium waffles.

Chicken and bacon waffle nachos start with two round waffles that are cut into quarters and fried, then topped with popcorn chicken, bacon, parmesan, cheddar, and Sriracha maple syrup.

There are also waffle fries, waffle sticks, and a "waco," like a waffle version of a taco, with a Belgian waffle filled with scrambled eggs, onions, bell peppers, and sausage, folded like a taco.

"I think people like us because our menu is different," he says. "A lot of people can't get it through their head that a Philly cheesesteak is really good on a waffle, but they can't resist trying it."

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Starbucks news

Starbucks to close Dallas office and cut jobs as part of restructuring

Photo courtesy of Starbucks

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Starbucks will close some U.S. offices, including one in Dallas, and will lay off 300 corporate employees and as part of its ongoing turnaround, the company said Friday, May 15.

No coffeehouse employees are affected, the company said. The cuts will impact employees in support functions like marketing, human resources and supply chain management. No international employees are affected for now, but Starbucks said it is also reviewing its corporate structure outside the U.S.

In addition to the Dallas office, at 12750 Merit Dr., Starbucks said it’s also closing underused offices in Atlanta, Chicago, and other cities. The Seattle-based company recently announced that it's opening a corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee, that will employ up to 2,000 people within five years.

Starbucks expects to the moves to result in $400 million in restructuring charges, including $120 million in employee separation benefits.

Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Niccol said last month that the simplified structure is helping the company innovate more quickly. Starbucks is also investing in its remaining stores to improve customers' experience. It plans to redesign 1,000 U.S. stores this year to give them a cozier, more comfortable feel, and it's also hiring baristas to ensure faster service during busy times.

The efforts appear to be paying off. In the January-March period, Starbucks said its U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, jumped 7%. Niccol called the quarter “the turn in our turnaround.”

“Our focus now is on sustaining our momentum and making our results repeatable and durable, all while delivering a healthy cost structure that supports profitable growth,” Niccol said during a conference call with investors. “It’s how we turn progress into consistent results.”

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