Texas Roadhouse founder on new Aspen Creek conceptTexas Roadhouse founder on new Aspen Creek concept

Ron Ruggless

Texas Roadhouse Inc. opened its second Aspen Creek on Monday in Irving, Texas, and plans to double the size of the new casual-dining concept next year, said company founder Kent Taylor.

The offshoot brand was introduced in February 2009 in Texas Roadhouse’s headquarters city of Louisville, Ky. The company plans to open one more Aspen Creek by year-end in Fayetteville, N.C., and sites also have been selected for next year in Oklahoma, Texas and New Jersey, Taylor said.

Click here for a video of Taylor describing the Aspen Creek concept, including its menu and Colorado-lodge décor.

Customers at Aspen Creek will see fewer beef items and more chicken, seafood and pasta dishes than they would at a typical Texas Roadhouse, Taylor said. The $12 check average at Aspen Creek falls a bit lower than the $14 check average at Texas Roadhouse.

“I basically priced the [Aspen Creek] menu first and then made the items fit the prices,” Taylor said. “We had to hit the food-price targets to provide value.”

Also on Monday, parent company Texas Roadhouse Inc. reported a 9.4-percent jump in second-quarter net income, citing increased guest traffic and favorable commodity costs. Earnings for the June 29-ended quarter totaled $15.0 million, or 21 cents per share, compared with year-ago net income of $13.7 million, 19 cents per share.

Latest-quarter revenue rose 5.3 percent to $255.2 million, reflecting a same-store sales increase of 1.4 percent at corporate restaurants and a 2.0-percent jump at franchised branches.

The company added that same-store sales were up 3.0 percent for the first four weeks of the current third quarter.

Texas Roadhouse ended the quarter with 335 restaurants.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].