What many residents do not know is that Blue Goose is family-owned and -operated.
The business was started by friends Bob Peterson and Scott Holyfield, who opened the first location on Lower Greenville Avenue in Dallas in 1984. Both have since died, but Peterson’s wife, Jill, and son, Nick, now run the business.
While Blue Goose has grown significantly since it opened in the ‘80s, Plano General Manager Lacy Schara said it has managed to maintain a family-style, small-business feel.
The restaurant aimed to be a late-night spot when it first opened, but as it enters its 37th year, it has expanded into the suburbs and changed its hours so employees can get home well before its original 2 a.m. closing time.
“We tend to keep management or have people work from the host stand up [to management], like I did,” said Schara, who has worked for Blue Goose Cantina locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area for the past 13 years. “We’re a big family. Once [they] are here, people tend to never want to leave. We enjoy the bond.”
Customers are also loyal to the Plano location, Schara said. The restaurant on West Park Boulevard originally opened in the 1990s and underwent a $1 million remodel in 2019.
“The remodel has been a huge thing for us in Plano,” Schara said. “It has built up business, brought new clientele and brought back returning clientele.”
The renovations included an enclosed patio that can be opened for outside dining when weather permits.
“[The patio] has garage doors that we can open [when it is nice],” Schara said. “Then, during the wintertime, we’re able to keep those closed, and we have heaters as well out there.”
Whether diners are inside or on the patio, Blue Goose’s signature items are among the most popular with Plano clientele, Schara said.
“The mesquite-grilled fajitas are, hands-down, one of the things we’re known for, as well as our frozen margaritas,” she said.
Francesca D’Annunzio contributed to this report.
Blue Goose Cantina
4757 W. Park Blvd., Plano
972-596-8882
www.bluegoosecantina.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
