“I [checked] how many [students] go here. ... I checked where the nearest bar was, and it was like 3 miles away,” Jutton said.
Before finding the spot, Jutton had already named his business. When his real estate agent showed him the spot on Northside Boulevard, he said “it was a very happy coincidence.”Herrera started in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher in 2009, then worked his way up to becoming a chef in fine-dining restaurants. When hired to be the chef and general manager at Northside, Herrera prepared a list of 100 potential items for their menu.
“He brought me the mac and cheese pizza idea,” Jutton said. “I said, ‘No way was that going to work.’”
Today, that pizza is one of their top sellers and is followed by nine other pizza options, in addition to many other chef-created recipes for what they describe as “elevated bar fare.”
Jutton said of the 50 draft beers they carry, 85% are produced locally.
The partners serve a mix of college students and neighborhood residents. Part of their ambiance is derived from having big sporting events on their screens as well as hosting weekly events.
“[Northside Drafthouse is] a neighborhood bar and grill, where anybody can come in and feel comfortable,” Herrera said.
Northside Drafthouse & Eatery
3000 Northside Blvd., Ste. 800, Richardson
972-238-7915
www.northsidedrafthouse.com
Hours: Sun.-Wed. 11 a.m.-midnight, Thu.-Sat. 11-2 a.m.
