 |
| RISING STAR: Tin Star founder Rich Hicks has built a company on the basis of a better taco. photography by Dan Sellers |
YOU NEED TO KNOW . . .
TITLE: Founder and CEO
COMPANY: Tin Star Restaurants
Stats: Founded in 1998, based in Plano, 13 locations in six states, serve 300-600 customers per day per location, $1.25 million in average store volume for corporate locations, plan to open three to six new locations in 2007
Why you need to know him:
Dallas is a great dining city, with area residents eating out three to four times a week. But for most people, most of the time, dining out doesn’t mean multiple courses and triple-digit bills. It was that realization that pulled Rich Hicks into the “fast-casual” dining realm when he created Tin Star nine years ago. “Customers want higher-quality food in a cool environment with great service and a value-driven price,” Hicks explains. “And they don’t mind not being waited on.” Since opening his first location in Uptown Dallas in 1999, he’s been careful in his expansion, practicing controlled growth based on demographic analysis rather than simply timing, even after opening the concept to franchisees in 2004. “I’ve been cautious to make sure we’re not making poor decisions in real estate just because a space is available,” he says. “If six are available, great. If 20 are available, great. If only one is available and it’s the right one location, that’s okay too.” In the same fast-casual vein, he’s lent his hand to a new burgers-and-fries concept called Mooyah, which opened its first location in Plano in April. But his primary focus is still on Tin Star and maintaining the quality of what keeps his customers coming back: the food. And what is Hicks’ favorite dish? “The no. 9 taco,” he says. “Exceptional.”
