Frisco City Council members approved a ground lease and guaranty agreement for the restaurant project during a March 4 meeting.
The agreements allow Stix Icehouse to rent the city’s property in two 10-year leases and the guaranty agreement adds performance requirements as well as protections for Frisco if the project falls through.
The Frisco Community Development Corporation is also included in the partnership—the corporation will pay either less than half of the expected $3.8 million in investments or up to $2.5 million in reimbursements for building the parking lot and open space at the Stix Icehouse. FCDC board members approved the agreement during a late February meeting.
Stix Icehouse opened in McKinney in 2021. The proposed Frisco location, which would be built inside a city-owned site at the corner of Cotton Gin Road and Dallas Parkway, would be the restaurant’s second location and its first outside of McKinney.
The setup
The Stix Icehouse Frisco location would be located at the southeast corner of Cotton Gin Road and Dallas Parkway inside a stretch of land owned by the city. The property is surrounded by land reserved for a mixed-use development known as the Zarky Development, which would be developed alongside the restaurant.
The proposed restaurant location is within walking distance—less than 600 feet—of the entrance to Grand Park’s Community Hub. The first phase of construction at Grand Park is set to kick off in early 2026.
The short distance between the two projects is a major benefit for the city, said Ken Schmidt, director of special projects for the city. It will add a family-friendly social space to the area, host an annual community event, offer additional parking for Grand Park visitors and reduce the maintenance costs for the planned open space, according to a meeting presentation.
The owners of Stix Icehouse “immediately focused in on the Grand Park area” when they proposed the new location, Schmidt said.
Zooming in
Stix Icehouse offers full restaurant and bar services as well as extensive patio space, something that Frisco needs more of, Mayor Jeff Cheney said.
“This [deal] is really special to me for a few reasons, one being I was the one that I always voiced about how disappointed I was that we had no great patios in Frisco,” Cheney said.
Open space in Frisco developments has become a strength for the city, he said.
The new Stix Icehouse restaurant was referred to in a meeting presentation as "the Stix Icehouse Pecan Grove," which is a reference to the multiple pecan trees on the property, Cheney said. A different development was almost approved for the land around 15 years ago but was rejected because it would not protect the pecan trees, some of which are as tall as Frisco's George A. Purefoy Municipal Center, he said.
A post on the Stix Icehouse social media states that Stix Icehouse Pecan Grove will open in late 2026. The development review process for the project is not done and is subject to change before construction starts, Schmidt said. The current vision for the restaurant includes:
- Nature trail
- Disc golf area
- Corn hole
- Ping pong space
- Tree houses
- Wiffle ball area
