Eric Kelly, End Zone president of operations, said owners Doug and Rachel Bradley were inspired to start the business after frequenting a neighborhood bar in Plano at Independence Parkway and Parker Road.
“They were patrons before it was an End Zone,” Kelly said. “They fell in love with the place, and they were looking for the next chapter in their life, and they said, ‘Let’s go into the restaurant [and] bar business.’ They bought that property over there and have been the owners since 2016.”
Since the Bradleys made their initial purchase, more locations have opened in Little Elm, Lake Highlands and McKinney. The McKinney location opened on Eldorado Parkway in 2019. Prior to opening a new End Zone, the Bradleys did extensive demographic studies, Kelly said.
“This neighborhood really fits the criteria of the guests they look to for support,” Kelly said of the McKinney location.
Kelly has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years and has experience as a corporate chef. He said he spends time at all four End Zones, “developing and protecting the brand and everything underneath.”
The menu and recipes were created by Rachel Bradley and feature traditional bar fare made in their scratch kitchens. Popular food items are wings, burgers and sandwiches.
“I’m not just saying this, I feel that from all the wings I’ve consumed in my life, we have the best wings,” Kelly said. “We offer them bare, breaded and [with] about a dozen different sauces from traditional to Thai chili.”
Kelly credits End Zone’s growth to many elements, including its vast beverage options and focus of staying on-brand as a neighborhood bar.
“We support local Texas breweries. Rachel is our [chief operating officer]; she follows the trends and stays competitive with the menus, both bar and food,” Kelly said.
Kelly said they have customers who come in for a first date after meeting on a dating app, 21-year-olds buying their first legal drink, people who come in specifically for Wednesday karaoke nights and more.
“We’re just such an unpretentious destination, and people come here and relax,” Kelly said.
End Zone Bar & Grill
4150 Eldorado Parkway, McKinney
972-547-9779
www.endzonebars.com
Hours: Sun.-Sat. 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
