Chef News

Famous D.C. chef awards Frisco Star with Michelin-worthy restaurant

Eastern Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya is coming to The Star.

Photo courtesy of José Andrés

Frisco scores a major restaurant coup with a new place coming from an internationally renowned chef: José Andrés will open a second branch of Zaytinya, his eastern Mediterranean restaurant from Washington, D.C.

According to a release, Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup and the Turkey-based d.ream (Doğus Restaurant Entertainment and Management) have partnered to open a Zaytinya at The Star, the real estate development and Dallas Cowboys campus in Frisco.

This will be the first Michelin-rated chef to open a place at The Star. Zaytinya is known for its inventive Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisine and has been a top dining destination in D.C. since 2002.

Andrés' accolades include earning two Michelin stars for Minibar by José Andrés, also in Washington, D.C. He's been named one of the "100 Most Influential People" by Time magazine and is an internationally recognized culinary innovator, author, educator, television personality, and humanitarian.

More recently, he's been involved in a lawsuit with Donald Trump. Andrés was supposed to open up a restaurant in the lobby of the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., but he backed out in July 2015 after Trump called undocumented Mexican immigrants "rapists" and "criminals." Trump retaliated by filing a $10 million breach-of-contract lawsuit.

Andrés recently tweeted Trump, asking for a settlement, saying, "Mr. @realDonaldTrump can we end our lawsuits and we donate $ to a Veterans NGO to celebrate? Why keep litigating? Let's both of us win."

The chef says he's thrilled to be opening a Zaytinya in Dallas, even though it's really Frisco. Hope he doesn't get lost when he comes to visit.

"The Star is an incredible campus, developed with amazing detail by the Jones family and will be a great fit for my mezze restaurant," he says. "And we are very excited to be doing this with d.ream, one of the most respected, fastest-growing hospitality forces in the world."

Zaytinya will be located in Building 6W of the development, at 6655 Winning Dr., and will feature a modern, authentically Mediterranean decor with seating for up to 250.

Andrés founded his ThinkFoodGroup with partner Rob Wilder. Their 27 restaurants include Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Fish at MGM National Harbor, J by José Andrés at W Mexico City, Bazaar Meat at the SLS Las Vegas and the Bazaar by José Andrés at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and South Beach, along with Bazaar Mar at SLS Brickell.

Their partner, d.ream (Doğuş Restaurant Entertainment and Management) launched in 2012 and owns a number of restaurants in Turkey and internationally.

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Closing News

Longtime Dallas restaurant Sevy's Grill to close after nearly 30 years

Photo courtesy of Sevy's Grill

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A longtime Dallas restaurant is closing in 2026: Sevy's Grill, which has been open at 8201 Preston Rd. near Preston Center for nearly 30 years, will close on June 27, 2026.

According to a release from the owners, they're closing due to what appears to be an increase in rent.

"After months of negotiations, we were not able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for our fourth 10-year lease," the post said.

The restaurant is located in Preston Sherry Plaza, which was acquired in September 2025 by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate. Somebody gotta foot the bill.

Sevy's says they are looking at other locations.

"Our focus now is to finish these next 6+ months taking care of our guests and staff at the same caring level we built our brand on: Warm, professional service, consistently good food and a comfortable ambiance where the guest is always first," the post says. "First on our list of priorities is taking care of our guests in December and all the wonderful celebrations of family, friends and business groups. We do still have some availability for reservations, including our last New Years Eve at Preston Sherry. Come celebrate with us as the exciting anticipation of a new year for all of us."

"Our second priority will be the search for a new location to continue doing what we love," they said. "We are already reviewing possible sites and will keep everyone updated regularly."

Owned by chef Jim "Sevy" Severson and his wife Amy Severson, the restaurant has long been a neighborhood favorite with a lively bar scene, and was nominated in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant. They were a frequent choice for winemaker events and are also known for the longevity of their staff.

"Eight team members have been with us all 29+ years, with an average tenure in the kitchen of 15+ years and a Management team that you all know," their post said. "Come support our staff as we celebrate the next 6+ months.Thank you again for your support through all the normal challenges of running a restaurant as well as economic downturns, market bubbles, Y2K, and of course the COVID era. As I tell my family and friends to “enjoy the ride in life”, wow, what an amazing ride it has been for us! And as always, Sevy’s Grill is here for you."