Reata Restaurant facts for kids
Reata Restaurant in Fort Worth
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | In 1995 in Alpine, Texas |
| Headquarters | Fort Worth, Texas |
|
Key people
|
Mike Micallef, President Al Micallef, Founder |
| Products | Food service |
|
Number of employees
|
175 |
Reata Restaurant is a popular group of restaurants in Texas. It was started by Al Micallef. Reata is famous for its delicious Texas-style food. You can find their main restaurant in Fort Worth.
Reata also runs special restaurants during the yearly Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. These include Reata at the Rodeo, Reata at the Backstage, and La Espuela Mexican Cantina. They also have a catering service called Reata on the Road. Plus, Reata makes its own cooking tools and a cookbook!
Contents
The Story of Reata Restaurant
How Reata Started
Reata Restaurant began in 1995 in Alpine, a town in Texas. Al Micallef was the person who founded it. The name "Reata" means "rope" in Spanish. This name was inspired by a famous book called Giant by Edna Ferber.
Moving to Fort Worth
In 1996, Reata opened a second restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas. This new spot was very high up, on the 35th floor of the Bank One Tower.
A Big Challenge
On March 28, 2000, a strong tornado hit Fort Worth. The Reata restaurant was damaged and had to close. But the team worked very fast! They rebuilt the restaurant in just six weeks. It was amazing how quickly they got it running again.
However, in January 2001, the restaurant had to close once more. It then reopened in May 2002 in a different building. This new home was once known as the Caravan of Dreams.
Reata on the Road
While the Fort Worth restaurant was moving, Reata started a catering service. It was called Reata on the Road. This service began in February 2001. They have a large kitchen to prepare food for events.
Reata at the Rodeo
In 2002, Reata opened a special place at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. It was called Reata at the Rodeo. This allowed them to serve food to many people during the big rodeo event. In 2007, they also took over the Backstage Club at the rodeo. They renamed it Reata at the Backstage Club.
A Cookbook for Home Chefs
In 2008, a cookbook was released. It was written by Mike Micallef. The book is called "Reata: Legendary Texas Cooking." It helps people make Reata's famous dishes at home. You can find it online and in the Reata store.
La Espuela Mexican Cantina
In January 2010, Reata opened another restaurant at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. This one was called La Espuela. It serves delicious Mexican food.
Famous Chefs from Reata
Many talented chefs started their careers at Reata. Some of these famous chefs include Grady Spears, Tim Love, Brian Olenjack, and Tod Phillips. They learned a lot while working there.
Where You Can Find Reata
Reata has several locations, especially during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo:
- Reata Fort Worth Sundance Square, Fort Worth, Texas
- Reata at the Rodeo (open during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo)
- Reata at the Backstage Club (open during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo)
- La Espuela (open during the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo)
- Reata Alpine, Alpine, Texas
