Hickory Reimagined
Rathbun's Plano barbecue joint secures second life as party central
More changes are afoot at Kent Rathbun Concepts. A little over a year after it opened in Plano, Hickory is transitioning from a restaurant to a private event space.
The burgers-and-barbecue joint will now accommodate the KRC's catering business full-time, supporting an empire that already includes venues at Kitchen at 6130, the Dallas Arboretum, SMU Meadows Museum, 6500 Cedar Springs, Samuel Lynn Galleries, and Times Ten Cellars.
"We've decided that we can better satisfy our guests and the surrounding Plano/Frisco neighborhoods by turning Hickory into a full-service event venue," KRC director of communications Donna Tanner says in a release. "We're excited about this new direction and look forward to hosting business and social functions in our beautiful, fully equipped space."
A kosher menu is also being introduced to KRC's catering options as a way to better serve a wide array of dietary needs. Selections include smoked fajita grilled chicken nachos and braised beef short ribs with mushroom ragu reduction as well as vegetarian entrees, salads, and desserts.
This isn't the end for Hickory as a restaurant, though. There are plans to reopen the concept in a new location in Terminal B at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in the spring of 2017.
Chef Kent Rathbun recently resigned from the company that bears his name. He and his wife, Tracy Moore Rathbun, are working on the reopening of Chelsea Corner, in partnership with Len Critcher, owner of The Tavern.
