CHICKEN-FRIED YUM!
Adored local chef parks signature restaurant in booming Austin suburb
One of Austin’s most admired restaurateurs is expanding his Texas comfort food empire further into the ’burbs.
Jack Allen’s Kitchen, chef and owner Jack Gilmore’s drool-inducing, Southwestern-inspired eatery, will open its fifth location this summer, in Cedar Park. Located at 1345 E. Whitestone Blvd. in the 1890 Ranch Shopping Center, the new Jack Allen’s represents the concept’s farthest north location, a move brought on by continued growth in the area.
“We’ve watched the growth in Williamson County over the last few years and have always kept an eye out for the perfect location in Cedar Park. We’re known for taking existing restaurants and turning them into something that feels a little more like home,” says co-owner Tom Kamm, adding that when an opportunity arose to open an outpost in Cedar Park, “we jumped on it.”
Construction on the new Cedar Park restaurant begins in early April and will consist of razing the building, which formerly housed a steakhouse, to the studs and rebuilding it into the quirky, homey, and undeniably Texas style Jack Allen’s is known for.
Jack Allen’s plans to hire 100 employees from the Cedar Park area, with hiring beginning in early summer. That comes as no surprise considering Gilmore and Kamm emphasize the importance of sourcing local, both in the kitchen and in the community, with all their restaurants. In fact, Jack Allen’s Cedar Park is the seventh restaurant from Gilmore and Kamm (who also own Salt Traders Coastal Cooking), and once it opens, their restaurant group will employ more than 700 people in Central Texas.
“Our guests and employees have been asking for years when we’re coming to Cedar Park, so we’re very excited about the opportunity to show our gratitude through food and bring the Jack Allen’s Kitchen experience to this community,” Gilmore says. “The most appealing part of being in Cedar Park is the people. As we’ve gotten to know the people of Williamson County, we can say without a doubt that this is a community we want to be a part of.”
Anchoring the space at the 6,500-square-foot Jack Allen’s Cedar Park will be a massive bar, and outdoor seating (a must when gobbling house-made pimento cheese and sipping Jack’s Mexican martini) will wrap around the front and side of the building’s exterior. And in true Jack Allen’s form, the restaurant will be embellished with reclaimed structural elements that scream Texas and one-of-a-kind art from locals George Hampton and Larry DeLacretaz.
While Jack Allen’s comfort-food favorites will be on the menu at the new location, the restaurant will also add new menu items and cocktails, and an array of daily specials.
Once completed, Jack Allen’s Kitchen in Cedar Park will be open seven days a week for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.