“I’ve always been big on Southern cuisine, and living up north, you know, I just expected it to be more—like, these places would be like McDonald’s around here,” Thomas said.
After five years in Texas, Thomas began searching for a space to open a new restaurant. He had owned a sports bar back home, he said.
“It was always my goal to open my own place right, but it’s just so big down here,” Thomas said. “It just took me some time to learn the different cities, different communities and whatnot.”
During his search for a food space, he stumbled upon an old gyro store with an open lease and decided to begin working towards Savorite, a play on words Thomas came up with.
“I wish it was something like my grandma’s dog’s name back in the day, you know, something cool like that, and nostalgic,” he said. “But, no, I really just was playing with words one night, brainstorming, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I kind of like the ring to it.’”
Savorite has a traditional soul food menu with a few special menu items, and it has been that way since its creation in April 2018. Some current ideas for the next special menu are oxtails and blackened catfish, he said.
“Sometimes, [customers] don’t necessarily want the fried [food], and our menu was very heavy on the fried,” Thomas said. “We’ve always been looking to incorporate different things that are not fried.”
Savorite is a family-owned business, Thomas said. His kids are often in the dining room or hanging out with Thomas and his wife, Makia, in the back.
“We’re here to serve our customers, serve the community and we want to be here for a long time,” Thomas said. “If you’re missing some home cooking like mom used to make, [this is] definitely the place for you.”
Savorite Southern Cuisine
2400 K. Ave., Ste. B, Plano
469-969-0260
www.savoritesoutherncuisine.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat.-Sun. noon-9 p.m.
This article ran in the November 2019 edition of Community Impact Newspaper in Plano. Read the full e-edition here.
