Dallas — Editor's note: This article was originally published by Click here for Dallas Business Journal.
Eatzi's is a Dallas-based European market-style restaurant and bakery that has been a staple of North Texas diners since it first opened on Oak Lawn Avenue in 1996 and is still open today.
Nearly 30 years later, the brand now has six stores in Dallas, Plano, Grapevine, Fort Worth, and recently added a 2,500-square-foot location in Terminal D at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Opening in October 2023, the airport location is the brand's first, but it's been a decade in the making.
“About 10 years ago, we were approached by a concessionaire. At the time, we were in the midst of opening four of our own stores in six years,” said Adam Romo, CEO of Eatzi's. Masu. “So we said, 'Thank you, we're interested, but not today.'”
And after struggling to bring the brand outside the Lone Star State, Romo is looking to continue growing the chain domestically, even if it takes time to find the right location.
“'Why don't you open another Eatzi's?' We get that question a lot,” Romo said. “Well, because we haven't found the perfect site. We're not going to be pressured or rushed into something that he's not 100% sure will be successful.”
Romo spoke at length about Eatzi's growth, why it hasn't worked outside of Texas, and winning an airport spot on the Texas Business Minds podcast. You can listen to the entire conversation in the player at the top of this article or on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Below are some excerpts from the interview, edited for brevity and clarity.
“What was devastating was that we opened four stores that were doing phenomenally well. We went from Dallas to Houston to Atlanta to Washington, D.C., and the stores were incredibly profitable. Then we got into New York City, which was a mistake, considering there was no such thing as a fast casual or prepared meal market at the time. So we blazed a new trail and learned along the way. And one thing we learned the hard way is that site selection is even more important for these types of brands. That’s it.”
“We opened in the basement of Macy's in Manhattan. Well, it's inconvenient, right? Nobody wanted to go to a big store like Macy's and then go down to the basement to shop for dinner. Another factor and convenience that really hurt us there is having to lug shopping bags to the subway, train, and bus while commuting to other wards. , no one was going to do that.”
“That was just a fatal flaw in the business. And that's what we couldn't figure out. We thought this would work everywhere.”
“We don't have the growth rate that we need. Once we find the best site, we'll open the site. And now if you ask me, okay, where is that? Now, as the toll road expands north, So we're really looking at that area actively.”
“Once we feel we have fully developed Dallas-Fort Worth, we will return to Houston. This way we will be able to open more stores there.” [the city] geographically spread. We had been in Houston before and it was a very profitable store. Once Texas is completely saturated, all that's left is to continue hitting the Sunbelt states. I'm going back to Atlanta, then I'm going to Phoenix and Arizona and all over the South. There was no reason to do so because it is expensive to do business in the Northeast. I would never recommend it, at least not when it comes to our business. ”
“when [DFW Airport presented a spot] For me, I jumped at it. So I thought, this is a great opportunity. Another factor that's really important to me is that space is at a premium at airports. Most are less than 1,000 square feet. So the fact that this was in the new part is, [Terminal D] We were able to expand and get 2,500 square feet. This is a huge footprint for an airport. Therefore, we were able to realize more of the current concept. ”
“When we looked at this space, we considered different scenarios for how we would lay out the store and what we would offer. And they asked me, 'What about a bar?' And I said, “Oh, I also drink beer and wine.” Well, that's great. There is also a cafe attached, giving it a bit of a bar-like atmosphere. That would be perfect. ' And they say, 'No, no, no, it's a full-fledged liquor bar.' And I said, “That's not really our brand.” When I was shown the number and alcohol pairing at the airport, I said, “How about a bar?” So that's what we did. ”
