Walking into the restaurant, guests are greeted by brightly colored murals, brass light fixtures and arches over the bar, below which stand dozens of glass bottles of alcoholic elixirs.
The decoration is as intentional as the food, said Derek Simms, who owns J.Theodore with his wife, Sheree.
“That’s what my wife and I are really, really good at, is providing the different layers of entertainment as well as food,” Derek said.
The Simmses have previous restaurant experience as the former owners of Eight11 Place in Frisco. There they had a stage and music, and when they took over the space that is now J.Theodore in 2019, they brought those same concepts.
“All of our restaurants are highly entertaining and are really destination experiences that are more than just eating,” Derek said.
A key focal point at J.Theodore is a mural near the dessert counter that portrays Derek’s father, John Theodore Simms, the namesake of the restaurant. While the eatery emphasizes entertainment, at its heart, it is a family affair, Sheree said.
“In all of our concepts we try to somehow put our identity into it,” Sheree said, noting the mural of J.Theodore. Upcoming murals will be painted at the Simms’ new restaurant concepts coming to The Star in Frisco and will feature the couple’s children.
The restaurant offers a variety of dining times, serving brunch, lunch, dinner and after-hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Each menu helps to attract diverse crowds, the Simmses said. People can come by for a quick bite after a soccer game, to have a celebratory dinner experience for a birthday or if they want to bring friends in town for a brunch experience.
“We like to say we do immersive dining, so we create an experience and a feel and then obviously follow with great food, great cocktails and great service,” Sheree said.
Rare Books Bar
J.Theodore is host to a secret speakeasy called Rare Books Bar that specializes in whiskey. The bar requires a secret password to get in, and is posted on the speakeasy's social media accounts each week. A telephone booth allows guests to say the password to get into the speakeasy, where they will find a smaller bar and lounge offering live music, drinks and small bites.
J.Theodore Restaurant & Bar
6959 Lebanon Road, Ste. 110, Frisco
214-705-7775
www.jtheodore.com
Hours: Mon.-Tue. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thu. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat. 10 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
