Black-eyed Pea (restaurant) facts for kids
| Restaurant | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, and Denver, Colorado |
| Products | American Food & Spirits |
The Black-eyed Pea is a restaurant chain in the United States. It is known for serving classic Southern-style comfort food. Most of its restaurants are found in Colorado, with one location in Texas.
Two different companies manage the Black-eyed Pea restaurants. The single Texas restaurant is run by a company based in Houston. The restaurants in Colorado are managed by a different company located near Denver.
Contents
About Black-eyed Pea Restaurants
How Black-eyed Pea Started
The Black-eyed Pea restaurant chain began in 1975. It was founded by Gene Street and Phil Cobb in Dallas, Texas. Over time, the chain grew quite large, opening about 130 locations across the Southern United States.
Changes Over the Years
The Black-eyed Pea chain was sold to a company called Unigate plc. Later, in 1997, another company named DenAmerica bought the restaurants.
In 2001, the company faced financial difficulties. This led to many Black-eyed Pea locations closing down. However, the restaurants in Colorado were managed by different owners and were not as affected.
After these changes, the Black-eyed Pea restaurants updated their style. They added more appetizers and seafood dishes. They also started offering more grilled items and focused more on their drink menus.
Current Locations
In 2008, some former employees bought the rights to the Black-eyed Pea locations in Colorado. They worked to improve the menu and advertise more.
The very first Black-eyed Pea restaurant, which opened in Dallas, closed its doors in 2016 after 40 years. Later that year, most of the Black-eyed Pea restaurants in Texas also closed.
Today, there are 10 Black-eyed Pea locations. Nine of these are in Colorado, mostly around the Denver area. The only remaining Texas location is in Arlington.
What's on the Menu?
The Black-eyed Pea menu features many popular Southern U.S. dishes. You can find items like fried catfish and chicken fried steak. They even have a "Texas Sized" chicken fried steak that can fill an entire plate!
Other popular sides include mashed potatoes, fried okra, and broccoli and rice casserole. They also serve cornbread and rolls. When you order a main dish, you usually get to choose two vegetables to go with it.
The restaurant's most famous dish, and the one it's named after, is the "black-eyed peas." These are a type of bean often eaten in the Southern United States.
