Along Preston Road next to Sea Breeze Fish Market & Grill at Lakeside Market is a set of large ornate doors that seemingly lead nowhere.

But what about the number 4017 tacked up above it?

The secret lies inside Sea Breeze. If patrons politely pry the staff, they might just be given the password to Plano’s only speakeasy: The Wilfred.

What's special about it?

Named after his 13-year-old dog, the idea for the speakeasy was brewing for years inside the mind of owner Ryan Oruch, whose father owns Sea Breeze. Oruch wanted to channel his passion for hospitality, cultivated over years of working at the restaurant, into an experience unknown to the Plano bar scene.


When a space opened up next door, Oruch seized the opportunity and transformed the former yoga studio into an esoteric bar. And by Sept. 12, it was open to the public. The nook is a dimly lit complete with warm purples and golds, crystal chandeliers, a disco ball, velvety wallpaper and a portrait of Wilfred.

“The whole atmosphere is all about setting the vibe and trying to bring Plano an experience it doesn't have,” he said.

The seating is designed as an intimate community space that allows guests to enjoy time with their friends while also being inviting enough to engage with people they have never met. In contrast to the exclusivity of traditional speakeasies, Oruch said he wanted to create a welcoming environment where patrons can come as they are.

What's on the menu


Key to imparting that experience is crafting next-level premium cocktails, Oruch said. The drink menu is a collaboration between Oruch and Dallas cocktail masters Gabe Sanchez and Ryan Payne.

“From a culinary standpoint, I look at drinks just like we look at food,” he said.

Some of the choices include the Bubblz & Berriez, a strawberry-infused vodka dashed with honey syrup, lemon and prosseco, and The Hotbox, a hickory-smoked old fashioned served in a glass dome. To kick things up a notch, cocktails can come with a bump of caviar. It's an open invitation to taste something new, Oruch said.

Certain drinks are designed to pair well with it, such as the truffle-infused vodka and gin Ooooooomami cocktail, Wilfred’s play on a Vesper.


The Wilfred was also Oruch and his team’s chance to flex their culinary diversity outside of his family's seafood restaurant next door and offer completely unique dinner options. Wagyu smashburger sliders, truffle fries, duck fat hash browns, and pastrami-cured salmon and caviar are just some of the menu's full spectrum, which Oruch describes as “eclectic bites that you want to have while you’re boozing it up,” he said.

However, there are a few items, such as tuna tartare and lobster and burrata, that show they’re still the seafood guys in town, Oruch said; it is the same team of chefs after all.

“The whole hope was that we have two different experiences in one with that same quality and consistency,” he said.

One more thing


While Oruch is still heavily involved at Sea Breeze, he spends almost every night at The Wilfred, hanging up his apron for a crisp shirt and a brown wide-brimmed fedora. He literally wears two hats as chef and hospitality host, but he said he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I get rewarded seeing everyone having a great time from the experience that we created,” he said.