“I came across ‘heyday’ and said it out loud. I said, ‘That could be a bar, a brunch spot or a restaurant.’ We didn't want [the name] to ... limit what we could be,” McGowan said. “And, at the time, Celina was really experiencing a boom. ‘Heyday’ became symbolic of us trying to help bring Celina into its heyday.”
The restaurant and bar opened in 2024 in downtown Celina.
On the menu
McGowan said the original menu featured mostly Morel’s recipes. Now the menu, which changes twice a year, is under the direction of Executive Chef Joey Dawkins.
Tenderloin tacos have been a top seller since the business opened, McGowan said.
“The day before we opened, I just happened to be scrolling Facebook and saw some tenderloin tacos. I go back to the kitchen and ask if we can do this. Five minutes later, we're tasting it—we make a few changes—maybe half an hour later we have a finished dish,” McGowan said. “It went on to be our number one selling item for the first nine months.”
McGowan said they are very proactive about not being wasteful. He points to their use of post-juiced jalapenos used in their cucumber and jalapeno margarita.
“We juice the jalapeno, and then you're left with the meat, the actual vegetable,” McGowan said. “We don't want to just throw it away. We reduce it down and turn it into a sauce for elote which ends up on the taco.”
He said pineapples go through a similar process. Once juiced for a martini, the pineapple is turned into pineapple sauce and served with their pork chops instead of a traditional apple sauce.
Looking for a libation?
McGowan credits Wilborn Blalock for developing Heyday’s bar program.
“Our cocktail program is incredible,” McGowan said. “It's probably going to sound a little braggadocious, but I would 100% put our cocktail program against anybody in DFW, and maybe even the state.”
Dr. Feelgood, featuring Old Grand-dad Bonded bourbon, smoked peach, brown sugar and bitters is a top selling cocktail. Another crowd-pleaser is their espresso martini.
“Most places give you Bailey's, they shake it up,” McGowan said. “We grind our own beans, make our own cold brew and our own brown sugar, vanilla syrup. We use a nicer coffee liqueur. We take all that, put it into a keg and push it with nitrogen, so it's like a Guinness coming off of the tap.”
Quote of note
Although this is the only restaurant McGowan co-owns, Morel also owns Celina’s The Nook and Graffiti Pasta in Denton. However, McGowan and Morel hope to open other restaurant concepts in Celina within five years.
“We opened the doors on a Thursday to the public. We didn't promote or advertise. We unlocked the doors and within four minutes, I had a full bar top. Within 30 minutes, every seat in the restaurant was set,” McGowan said. “This is a community that just supports the heck out of itself.”
- 322 W. Walnut St., Celina
- www.heydaycelina.com
