On May 28, Firebird Restaurant Group, LLC, the parent company for iconic brands El Fenix Mexican Restaurant and Snuffer’s Restaurant & Bar, will celebrate 10 years of serving its signature menu items to communities across North Texas.
Under the leadership of Founder and CEO Mike Karns, Firebird now owns and operates a portfolio of six popular restaurant concepts with 54 locations in two states. Karns bought El Fenix in 2008 and Snuffer’s in 2013. Seven years ago, he and acclaimed chef Nico Sanchez launched Meso Maya, which serves upscale cuisine from the heart of Mexico, and Taqueria La Ventana, a fast-casual concept that brings Mexico City-style street food to North Texas. In 2016, he introduced the innovative torta, taco and mezcal concept, TorTaco, to downtown Dallas. TorTaco also offers a diverse dinner menu of signature dishes including savory pork chops and 44 Farms Steaks.
“There is so much excitement and energy at Firebird as we mark our first decade of company success while simultaneously celebrating El Fenix’s 100th and Snuffer’s 40th anniversary,” said Karns. “Not only do we have the honor of shepherding two of North Texas’ most beloved and legendary brands, but we’re also pushing forward with our emerging brands and new concepts, while also building our portfolio of brands with last year’s acquisition of Village Burger Bar, which we believe has similar growth potential.”
As it looks to the future, Firebird has bolstered its leadership team with the recent addition of Brian Livingston as President and Chief Operating Officer, and Ryan Price as Chief Financial Officer. Livingston was part of the original team that spearheaded the financing for the acquisition of El Fenix, Snuffer’s and Sunrise Mexican Foods.
“We have a very talented team in place to lead us into the next phase of expansion for Firebird,” said Livingston. “Mike has assembled an incredible, diverse portfolio of award-winning restaurant brands, and continues to put the right people in place to drive tremendous growth across the board. I could not be more optimistic about the future of our brands, our team and our company.”
Firebird also owns Sunrise Mexican Foods, which produces high-quality Mexican food products including fresh-made chips, tortillas, flautas and tamales for retail and food service operators from coast-to-coast.
