The Greater Dallas Restaurant Association (GDRA) recently announced the appointment of Kyle Noonan as its new president and he has ambitious plans to make sure that Dallas-Fort Worth’s restaurant scene gains the nationwide appreciation it deserves.
“The DFW restaurant scene has been overlooked on the national stage for far too long,” Noonan says. “My mission as president is to ensure that DFW (a metro that has more restaurants per capita than NYC) gains the appreciation it deserves. Much like Austin self-proclaimed that it was the ‘Music Capital of the World’ back in the 90s and then built music giants like SXSW and ACL; Dallas can do the same. It will require the media, food critics, chefs, restaurateurs, real estate developers, city officials, etc. to all work together to make DFW the food city that it has the potential to be.”
Noonan is an experienced restaurateur with over 18 years of hospitality and restaurant industry experience. He is the co-owner of FreeRange Concepts, an innovative Dallas-based restaurant group that pioneers fresh ideas with the creation of one-of-a-kind venues throughout Texas.
FreeRange Concepts’ one-of-a-kind concepts include: The Rustic, which features live music seven days a week and just opened its third location in Houston, with other locations in Dallas and San Antonio. Bowl & Barrel, an upscale boutique bowling alley and full-service restaurant, also located in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The General Public – a spirited neighborhood restaurant and bar committed to wholesome food and warm hospitality – located next door to Bowl & Barrel in Houston and San Antonio. And Mutts Canine Cantina, a unique urban oasis for dogs and their owners that just started franchising and opened its newest location in Fort Worth, in addition to its original in Dallas. For franchising information, visit muttscantina.com/franchise.
“It’s no secret that we need youthful energy to help maintain our clout and relevance, and Kyle provides that,” says Jerry Walker, Executive Director of Greater Dallas Restaurant Association. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Kyle as our president and look forward to an amazing year to come.”
As president, Noonan is responsible for continuing the three-year strategic plan that is in place from prior GDRA presidents. He also has the ability to modify and add to the strategic plan as he feels necessary.
GDRA’s vision is to be Dallas-Fort Worth’s source of sustainable, financially viable, and socially responsible restaurant industry leaders. The organization promotes the growth of the local restaurant industry through networking, education and local advocacy. The Dallas metro area has around 14,000 restaurants with an estimated 405,000 restaurant and foodservice jobs. That number is expected to grow 16.4% by 2028
