Razzoo's Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary by Launching a Remodel of Its Flagship Dallas Restaurant

Razzoo's LP will be marking its 15-year anniversary this month by launching a $1 million renovation of its original flagship location -- its Razzoo's Cajun Cafe in North Dallas. Located in the Keystone Park Center at Spring Valley and Highway 75, Razzoo's will close today, June 19, for a six-week renovation. Formed 15 years ago in June 1991, Addison, Texas-based Razzoo's LP owns and operates 12 Razzoo's Cajun Cafes in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Austin, Houston and Charlotte, North Carolina.

This will be the company's third renovation in the last year. "We're finally at the point in our growth cycle where we can re-invest in each of our restaurants to make them more appealing and comfortable for our loyal patrons and employees," said Razzoo's President Jeff Powell, who was one of the original Razzoo's investors in 1991, and took on an active management role in 1996. "As our first location, this remodel is particularly meaningful to us. We started our company 15 years ago with our first restaurant in this area and we've recommitted to this location by investing nearly $1 million in a major renovation and extending our land lease for another 10 years."

Razzoo's Cajun Cafe was the brainchild of owner Mike Leatherwood, Razzoo's LP's CEO. With only $120,000 in seed money, Leatherwood opened the flagship Razzoo's in June 1991 in North Dallas. Today the restaurant company has grown to 12 locations with more than 1,000 employees, grossing $32 million a year in sales, with re-investment and growth funded purely through cash flow. The company is now considering adding more locations, in smaller markets such as Burleson or College Station, Texas.

"Like most restaurant companies, we've had our ups and downs over the years," CEO Mike Leatherwood said. "However, over the last couple of years we've refined our business, the concept, and our company culture, and as a result we're on the upswing. We're profitable and growing, and having lots of fun while we're serving fabulous Cajun food to thousands of people per day. Not many restaurants can make that claim."

All of Razzoo's high-energy, full-service restaurants feature fried alligator tails, hickory-smoked ribs and their famous "Rat Toes" -- shrimp and crab-stuffed jalapenos -- as well as more traditional Cajun favorites such as gumbo, etoufee, jambalaya and fat po' boy sandwiches. The lunch and dinner menu offers 55 items with an average check of $12. The restaurants' decor incorporates themes that revolve around music, food, Mardi Gras and rural Southern Louisiana outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.

The Flagship Remodel

In this location for 15 years, the North Dallas Razzoo's will be closed for six weeks to undergo major renovations, such as:

-- The bar will be expanded to include an "island" bar, with new booth seating that includes individual high-definition, flat screen televisions in each booth, and seven 42" plasma TVs throughout the bar;

-- additional plasma screen televisions throughout the restaurant;

-- a new open-air enclosed patio in the style of a New Orleans courtyard;

-- upgraded landscaping to improve the views from the dining areas;

-- all new custom-designed furniture by local designer Greg Kennedy;

-- all new custom flooring;

-- updated electrical, plumbing and fire alarm infrastructure;

-- freshly painted exterior with new tile accents;

-- a semi-private dining area that can accommodate special events and private parties for up to 30 guests.

The re-configured restaurant will be approximately 7,500 square feet in size and will seat about 270. Razzoo's is working with Dallas-based design firm Zero 3 on the design, and the commercial construction company Strong Group Inc. is managing the construction.

Founder and CEO Mike Leatherwood is directing the design and can be credited with creating many of the brand's unique design elements. According to Leatherwood, "We're continuing with our standard eclectic but casual Cajun/rural Gulf Coast look and feel, and incorporating a heightened presentation of the successful design elements and themes that we've implemented in several of our other Razzoo's restaurants. As always, our goal is to achieve high visual impact with an interesting mixture of low-cost, every-day objects and materials, such as corrugated tin and chicken wire."

Razzoo's signature design elements being incorporated into this restaurant's re-design are:

-- a wall sculpture made of broken Fiesta ware plates set in concrete;

-- cedar plank siding on many walls, with brightly colored accent walls;

-- interesting application of common materials such as corrugated tin and chicken wire;

-- Razzoo's "trademark" lighting feature, known as the "Tornado," which is a floating collection of items representative of what might be found in the Southern Louisiana and Gulf Coast region.

"We typically see a surge in business after we've gone through an extensive remodel such as this, and consequently expect to increase the size of our staff at this location," Powell said. Applicants are encouraged to apply on site while the restaurant is under construction. The restaurant is located at on the southeast corner of Spring Valley and North Central Expressway (75), at 13935 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas, 75243.

Razzoo's 12 Cajun Cafes and Opening Dates

-- North Dallas -- June 1991

-- Fort Worth Sundance Square -- December 1992

-- Fort Worth Cityview -- February 1995

-- Mesquite Town Crossing -- May 1995

-- Lewisville -- December 1995

-- Arlington -- September 1996

-- Bedford -- February 1999

-- Plano -- September 1999

-- Houston/Stafford -- September 1999

-- Irving -- April 2000

-- Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina -- January 2001

-- Austin -- March 2001

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