The management of Trinity Groves, the restaurant depot in West Dallas, is changing. According to a press release from Trinity Groves Restaurant Group, founder Phil Romano will pass the baton to chef Julian Rodarte, co-owner of Beto & Sons, who will become CEO and be in charge of creating new restaurant concepts.

Rodarte will launch the newest restaurant concept set to open in the old Casa Rubia and Souk space, with plans for two more restaurant concepts to open later this year.

Romano says in a statement that Rodarte "has the creativity to create exciting and unique concepts that better cater to today's generation."

Rodarte and his father Beto opened Beto & Son in November 2016, and it remains Trinity Groves' most successful concept-to-date.

His resume includes the Culinary Institute of America, Fearing's at the Ritz Carlton-Dallas, Denny's, and CTI Foods where he developed recipes for brands such as Panera Bread, Subway, and PF Chang's. Most recently, he worked on revitalizing Trudy's Tex-Mex and South Congress Café in Austin. Other feats include competing on Beat Bobby Flay with his dad.

Rodarte says in a statement that he's excited to take the baton, which we mentioned in the very first sentence of this story, and implement his "Next-Gen Twist" on the new restaurants he'll be opening at Trinity Groves.

"Over the next few years, we have a very exciting vision for the expansion of our city’s culinary scene and we look forward to creating more iconic Dallas brands like Beto & Son, Cake Bar and Kate Weiser," Rodarte says.

The current restaurant lineup includes St. Rocco's New York Italian, Beto & Son, Kate Weiser Chocolate, Cake Bar, Sum Dang Good Chinese, Holy Crust pizza, and the Art Park.

Trinity Groves was started by Phil Romano, Stuart Fitts, and Butch McGregor in 2014, and began as an "incubator" with concepts rotating in and out on Phil's whim.

That model changed over in 2020 to Phil concepts such as Hula Girl Poke and LB Chicken Wings. Both of those seem to be now closed, as well as AvoEatery, a restaurant dedicated to avocado dishes which seemed like a good idea but faltered during the pandemic.

The next phase of Trinity Groves will include apartments, offices, retail, and parking.