Richardson Eats
Richardson dining action heats up with new restaurant park
More restaurants are coming to Richardson, as the city continues to stake a claim for hottest dining district, with a new development cleared by the Richardson City Council to break ground.
Restaurant Park will be built on the site of the former Continental Inn, on the west side of US 75, south of Belt Line Road. Two restaurants have already signed on: The Rock Wood Fired Kitchen and VertsKebap.
The Rock is a chain out of Tacoma, Washington, that serves pizza, steak, burgers and buckets of beer in a rock-and-roll-themed atmosphere. VertsKebap is the Austin-based fast-casual restaurant with build-your-own kebaps, wraps and salads.
Restaurant Park will ultimately feature up to seven restaurants with patios facing a central plaza and fountain. A pedestrian portal will allow easy access for residents who live nearby.
"We're pleased to announce the kickoff of development on Restaurant Park and believe this project will be a wonderful addition to the community," said Richardson Mayor Paul Voelker in a release. "It not only allows us to expand our current restaurant offerings for our residents, business employees and visitors to Richardson, but it also supports our long-term vision for strategic redevelopment and enhancement of key corridors in our city."
In 2012, the city purchased the Continental Inn, demolished the 1960s-era hotel and assembled adjoining properties to make way for the development of Restaurant Park. As part of a private-public partnership to redevelop the site, Hermansen Land Development Inc., a Dallas-based real estate development and management company, purchased the 5-acre tract.
Restaurant Park is scheduled to open in mid-2016. Negotiations with other restaurants, including a variety of national restaurant groups and local chef-driven concepts, are underway.
Restaurant Park is one of the five original concepts of the West Spring Valley Reinvestment Strategy, which the Richardson City Council adopted in 2009. The West Spring Valley Corridor is one of six areas that Richardson has targeted to invest and redevelop.
