When you have made the same drive at least once annually for 34 years, things that are new catch your attention.
Such was the case with this dining establishment. This all changed when I was invited to participate in an event at their recently opened location in North Richland Hills. In an attempt to prepare for this event, I did a minimal amount of research so I might be a little better informed when I attended. Upon arrival, I realized that I would be given some information and history, prior to dining. In my mind, I equated this to attending a graduation and having to suffer through the ceremony to get to the part that really matters to you.
I could not have been more incorrect, as I considered the discussion prior to the meal to be much more of a blessing than a burden. As I did so, I listened to Paul Vinyard, the patriarch of the family, tell us the story of the business he and his wife Mary Beth Babe started in , with the goal of putting their two children, Joel and Tiffany, through college. You could tell the importance of family to Paul and how important it was to him to be more than just an employer.
Both of his children work for the company and were in attendance that night. Vinyard also introduced country music singer, Coffey Anderson, to the crowd and told us that he would be providing entertainment later in the evening.
It was his desire to create an atmosphere where you could go out for a great steak without having to put on a sport coat and worry about breaking the bank. So he brought in his brother Joe, who is fondly referred to as Uncle Joe by all the employees, and charged him with developing the concept. After a decade and a half of success in Decatur, they decided to expand the concept to include the DFW area.
