Andrés has been expanding his restaurant empire for years now, with locations of his restaurant brands in California, Vegas, Florida and Mexico. The Frisco location of Zaytinya was his first foray into Texas.
“The Star in Frisco is an area in Dallas that’s showing big growth," Andrés says. "When opening a new restaurant, you’re trying to find this perfect balance of growth in a new part of town. The Star in Frisco has many of these characteristics."
Andrés is strategic in where he opens new locations.
“It’s good to be thinking about the present and the future, as well," he says. "For me, this is the long term. I think this is going to become a great part of suburban Dallas.
"It’s the right brand in the right place. We have a good team at this location, and the locals are welcoming us with open arms. I’m excited that football season started. We keep growing, week to week.”

Zaytinya is known for its elegant Mediterranean vegetable dishes, like this roasted cauliflower with tahini and sultanas.
Kathy Tran
“If you become like everyone else, in the end, we’ll all have the same type of restaurant," Andrés says. "I didn’t come to Dallas to do what every other person has done.
“My successes and failures in life come from me sticking to my guts and my guns. I only know what I know,” he says.
For those who might not be familiar with Turkish food, Andrés recommends starting with the spreads.
“Try any of the spreads ... hummus, labneh, baba ghanouj. Everybody loves spreads," he says. "Hummus has become so mainstream America.”“My successes and failures in life come from me sticking to my guts and my guns. I only know what I know." -Chef José Andrés
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He also suggests the flat breads for less adventurous diners, "because everybody recognizes a flat bread, it’s like pizza.”
Andrés believes that his food stands for itself. “At the end of the day, if you do good work and offer good food and good service, people keep showing up.”
He's also open to the possibility of opening further restaurants in the DFW area.
“If I feel like some of the concepts can find a home here, will others come? Maybe, yes," he says. "But first, I’m going to make sure Zaytinya is strong and doing well. But it’s a definite possibility. I like Texas. I like Dallas.”
Zaytinya, 6655 Winning Dr., Frisco (The Star)