Austin-based hospitality group Tykhe Group has announced Playground ATX: a 75-seat restaurant “launchpad” that will rotate culinary talent every six months. Located at 5001 Airport Blvd., the platform is “where culinary creatives can test, learn, and grow their ideas before a full-scale launch.”
On Wed., Nov. 15, the first tenant at Playground ATX will open: East Meets Wings, a dining experience that showcases a fusion of flavors, textures, and culinary techniques derived from distinct Asian cultures. Kevin and Rosie Truong, formerly of the acclaimed Fil ‘n Viet food trailer, are bringing this concept to life, drawing on their own family histories and paying homage to the diverse flavors of Indonesian, Indian, Thai, Sichuan, and Japanese cuisines.
And, after that? Well, there’s sure to be more gastronomical innovation coming, given the incentives: Culinary entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the industry – menu presentation, brand identity and marketing, event execution, pre-opening training, decor, finances, and more – all the way through expansion and launch. (Hospitality veterans behind this new culinary incubator and community hub include sisters Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky and Katie Kim.)
Tykhe Group partners will collaborate to provide each group with a unique opportunity to test and refine their concepts while earning 20% of profits and a market-rate salary for the duration of the pop-up. For the duration of the partnership, the hospitality pros at Tykhe will provide C-suite support, operations management, and branding. And if the tenant can be launched as a standalone concept, then Tykhe Group will make it a joint venture and secure locations and funding (and will manage operations) for the nascent company.
tl;dr: The excellent chefs of Fil ’n Viet are opening a new place on Airport and you should definitely check it out!
This article appears in Best of Austin: Restaurants 2023.