Tex-Mex staple Chuy’s is finally planting its flag in McKinney, with plans for a first local restaurant at the West Grove development and a target opening in late 2026. City planning documents outline a roughly 6,600-square-foot building with a bar and outdoor patio on the south side of West University Drive, adding another national dining option to a fast-growing retail hub north of Dallas.
As reported by Community Impact, the planned Chuy’s will occupy a 1.92-acre pad at 8405 W. University Drive, according to city paperwork. Communications manager Hailey Fitch confirmed the project to the outlet and, in an email quoted in the story, said the company is “excited to bring Chuy’s to McKinney,” highlighting the chain’s made-from-scratch approach and signature sauces.
What Chuy’s Will Serve
According to Chuy’s, the menu leans into Tex-Mex standards, including enchiladas, tacos, burritos, flautas and quesadillas, along with fajitas, soups, specialty sauces and a lineup of margaritas. The brand is known for signatures like its creamy jalapeño sauce and several fan-favorite entrées that anchor its full-service style. The McKinney restaurant is planned as a full-service location with bar seating and outdoor dining.
Where It Fits In West Grove
West Grove is being pitched as a large mixed-use retail and dining district at the 380/Custer corridor, with marketing materials emphasizing retail, restaurants and green space as anchors for the area. The center has already pulled in national and regional dining concepts, and tenants such as Hopdoddy list West Grove addresses on their location pages. Chuy’s is slated to join that lineup once its pad is built out, as developers and retailers continue positioning West Grove as a destination for shopping and dining for west McKinney residents.
Chain Ownership And Local Growth
Chuy’s announced a major ownership change in 2024 when Darden Restaurants agreed to acquire the chain, a move detailed in a Darden release on the transaction. That deal folded Chuy’s into a national restaurant portfolio that includes Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, a shift that observers say could speed up site selection and expansion in suburbs like McKinney.
Community Impact also notes that there are about 10 Chuy’s locations in the North Texas area, including restaurants in Frisco and Plano, according to the company’s location information. That existing footprint suggests McKinney is a logical next step as DFW suburbs continue to absorb new national and regional concepts.
What’s Next
Planning documents and the company’s confirmation point to a late-2026 opening, although typical permitting and construction timelines mean the schedule could shift as utility work and site approvals move ahead. Developers at West Grove and Chuy’s representatives did not provide a public groundbreaking date in the filings cited by local reporting, leaving residents and prospective employees watching the calendar into 2026.
