“When I was younger, I kind of detested Mexican food because that’s all I grew up eating,” Flores said. “So I went to culinary school.”
He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and he earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management from New Mexico State University.
“[Culinary school] opened my eyes to different cuisines, and I worked at several restaurants [in New York],” Flores said. “I didn’t want to think about Mexican food; I wanted to do something high end, something more avant garde.”
Eventually, Flores moved to Texas, where he was the opening chef at a variety of eateries, including seafood and tapas restaurants in Dallas.
In 2016, along with his business partners Alec and Sammy Marshi, Flores opened Whistle Britches in Dallas. In 2018, the business partners opened a second location in Plano, and in 2021, the third location opened in Southlake.
“I was gravitating toward fast casual, something trendy; I had been noticing fried chicken places popping up,” Flores said. “I thought burgers had its moment; pizza had its moment; and fried chicken is going to have its moment soon.”
Based on a childhood memory, Flores chose what he deemed the perfect name for a restaurant.
“I remember growing up in Texas; I thought it was funny when people called someone ‘whistle britches,’” he said. “I researched it, and it means someone who is kind of loud and obnoxious; it’s a term of endearment. We want to make ourselves known and be kind of loud and a little bit obnoxious.”
Flores said he created all the recipes in his chicken-centric eatery. He described the menu as, “comfy Southern food with a little twist.”
Flores spends his days checking on operations at the five restaurants, which include the three Whistle Britches locations and two locations for Tex-Mex restaurant Muchacho in Dallas and Southlake.
Whistle Britches
1230 Main St., Southlake
214-299-5971
www.whistlebritcheschicken.com
Hours: Sun. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Mon.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
