Owner Ronnie Patterson of 249 Steakhouse said he knew the area needed a steakhouse before opening the eatery earlier this year. “There’s a lot of Mexican restaurants ... but there just weren’t any steakhouses,” he said. “Now we’re able to service the Tomball, Stagecoach and Magnolia areas. There isn’t anywhere else that can service this community like we can.” Patterson, who grew up in the Rosehill area, said he spent a majority of his adult life in the military and deployed several times, but he has always wanted to own a restaurant. The steakhouse opened in March. “I’ve always been a people person. I go around and talk to almost each and every customer, make sure everything’s right and make sure they’re happy,” Patterson said. “That’s how we build our business.” 249 Steakhouse, which is located off Hwy. 249 in Pinehurst, serves steak, seafood and chicken entrees. Beer and wine are also available. The filet mignon and ribeye steaks are some of the restaurant’s best-selling dishes, Patterson said. Soups, salads, burgers, pasta and desserts are also available. He said the biggest challenge of opening the restaurant was finding the right personnel because his staff must have experience and a good attitude. He said he relies heavily on his employees’ feedback to continue improving the eatery, so they have to be the right fit. “Servers and chefs will tell me what their customers like and don’t like. They have the hands-on experiences with [customers] that I don’t always get to have,” Patterson said. “You’re not going to be able to please everybody, but we’re doing a pretty good job with the majority.” Family comes first at 249 Steakhouse, Patterson said. He said he considers employees and customers family and aims for the eatery to be family-friendly. “We have a personal touch where I know a lot about my customers, and my customers know a lot about me,” he said. “I love it. It just creates more and more family.” 249 Steakhouse 32360 Hwy. 249, Ste. 140, Pinehurst 346-248-5155 www.249steakhouse.com Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.