The Rim
The Rim
Life has a way of coming full circle for restaurateur Brent Johnson.
It happened once with friend and former Buttons chef Keith Hicks — the two used to work together at Ellington's Chop House downtown in the late 1990s; then, in 2019, they reunited again when Hicks became the chef at Johnson's restaurant, The Rim, in Burleson.
Now that Johnson is gearing up to open a second location of The Rim, things are coming full circle once again.
The Rim will open at Waterside, the development anchored by Whole Foods Market between Bryant Irvin Road and the Clear Fork of the Trinity River, filling the space once occupied by Taco Diner.
Johnson used to open Taco Diners when he worked at the M Crowd Restaurant Group.
"We're coming to the big city, over to Waterside," Johnson says. "We're not going to put too much dressing on it, but we're definitely going to be changing it up."
The space is currently undergoing renovation, with the dining room and patio expanding, making the location a total of 4,700 square feet. And, like the Burleson location, the Fort Worth restaurant will have an Airstream trailer anchoring the front of the kitchen.
While the menu has not been finalized, Johnson says the Fort Worth restaurant will have more steaks, seafood, pastas, and brunch offerings. He describes The Rim's menu with phrases like "American retro" and "food with soul."
"We're trying to take things — roast, meatloaf, fish — and put our own twist on that," Johnson says. "And no one twists better than Keith."
The Rim
The Rim
The Rim's family packages, which became popular during the pandemic
The second location comes as The Rim's Burleson location experiences significant growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson says that, before the pandemic, the restaurant had difficulty building a loyal following in its first two years of business. Then, when COVID-19 hit, The Rim launched family meals that better introduced the menu to the local audience. Now, Johnson says dining at the Burleson location is up about 45% since reopening after the lockdown — and that's with a 50% capacity limit.
Johnson says he hopes to open the Fort Worth location in mid- to late March. Additionally, those living at the apartments in Waterside will have access to The Rim's golf cart delivery service — residents can call in their order, and the golf cart, outfitted with a stereo system, will deliver the food to their door.
"We want to be an amenity to that area," Johnson says. "It's going to be a lot of fun."
