Though the newer, contemporary location is an upgrade in square footage over the Watauga location, Nate Nwaeze said the concept behind the restaurant remains the same.
“Our whole concept was five-star food in a gas station in Watauga,” said Nate, the son of the restaurant's chef and owner Franson Nwaeze. "And so, now [that] we're in Colleyville, we still want to give you five-star food. But we still want to make you be able to come in there and not have to feel like you have to dress up in a suit and tie to come get really great food.”
Paula Nwaeze co-founded Chef Point with her husband, Franson, almost two decades ago. The journey to arrive at a second location has included features in The New York Times and Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives."
"I call it our ... '18-year overnight success,'” Paula said. “It really was one thing after another that allowed us to get bigger and bigger. ... We stopped relying on the convenience store to make money, and we were relying on the restaurant.”
Franson is the mastermind behind the restaurant’s menu, which features an eclectic mix of comfort foods inspired by American, Italian, French and African cuisines. Before starting Chef Point in Watauga, Franson moved to the United States from Nigeria with no culinary experience.
“His friends bet him that he couldn't get a job, so he got a job in a restaurant working in the kitchen,” Paula said. “He fell in love with cooking and preparing dishes. ... He was passionate about learning, about cooking, and studied [under] some of the best chefs.”
One example of the menu offerings is patron’s choice of chicken, pork chop or swordfish stuffed with pepper jack cheese and crab meat, smothered in Asiago sauce mixed with onions and tomatoes, and served over angel hair pasta. Those in the mood for something sweet can try marinated, deep-fried chicken served on a homemade waffle and topped with fresh berries.
But Chef Point’s menu does not stop there. A cocktail menu includes a monster cocktail dubbed the “Bloody Best” bloody Mary, which includes skewered fried chicken, a slider, waffle fries, grilled shrimp, jalapeños, a pickle spear and bacon.
“[Whenever someone] posts it on social media, it kind of just blows up,” Nate said.
The Nwaezes are a dog-loving family, Paula said. That love has transferred to Chef’s point menu as well. Treats just for dogs include hamburger patties, scrambled eggs and chicken filets.
“If you're going to have a dog-friendly patio, let's have a dog menu. I mean, how hard is that?” Paula said.
Chef Point Bar & Resaurant
5220 SH 121, Colleyville
817-482-5030
www.chefpointcafe.org
