Saturday, April 20, 2024
Rooster’s is flying the coop.
At the end of this month, the owners of Rooster’s BBQ, located inside the Texaco in Cresson, will box up their brisket, pack up the banana pudding and close their doors.
Luckily for the city of Cresson, which relies on sales tax revenues because it levies no property taxes, Rooster’s is moving just two blocks east, to the building at 9201 E. Hwy. 377 that was once the Tumbleweed restaurant.
Rooster’s BBQ has been featured in the Fort Worth Weekly and other media. Owner Rooster Beane is a preferred caterer for the NFL. In the early 1980s he was signed by coach Tom Landry to be a kicker and guard for the Dallas Cowboys.
Rooster and his wife Lori will share space at the former Tumbleweed site with CAM Safety, which is already located there. CAM will be on the west side of the building, and Rooster’s BBQ will be on the east side.
A lease dispute caused Rooster and Lori to look elsewhere, but both said they are thrilled with the new location. It’s much larger, which will allow for easy social distancing, they said. There is also a window already there for drivethrough service.
The Beanes also intend to continue the curbside service they have offered since COVID-19 started.
Lori said that she and Rooster hit it off with the folks at CAM Safety and, even though the situation at the Texaco ended in less than ideal circumstances, the two are “strong believers that all things work for good.”
Rooster said that remodeling is being done at the new location, and he is bringing in some new equipment. He said he doesn’t intend to miss a day serving customers between closing the old place and opening the new place.
He has hired three additional employees to join the nine already on staff. Rooster and Lori managed to keep all of their employees on the payroll throughout the pandemic.
“We were blessed on that part right there,” Rooster said. “We had a good fan base. They came from all over, basically.”
Rooster grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and has a restaurant there. He and Lori, a former teacher for the Granbury school district, split their time between Nashville and Hood County.
A can-you-eat-all-of-this challenge landed Rooster’s Nashville restaurant on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food” reality show.
He plans to bring a similar dare to his Cresson restaurant once Rooster’s is in its new location.
Those who participate in the Texas Brisket Challenge must down a 72-oz. brisket sandwich, hand-cut fries and another side within 45 minutes to receive the meal for free; otherwise it will cost them $72.
Names and photos of winners will be displayed on the Big Roost wall.
The couple is focused on moving forward and leaving hard feelings behind.
“When one door closes, another one opens,” Rooster said. “And (the new location) I think is going to be a lot better for us. Everything’s going to be good.”
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