Barbecue smoke is headed for Main Street as Soulcraft BBQ, a chef-driven, Halal-focused concept, lines up a long-term home in Richardson's CORE District. Operated by Two Twenty-Five, LLC, the restaurant is expected to occupy roughly 3,200 square feet under a long-term lease. The fast-casual spot is planning a menu of Central Texas-style smoked meats, live-fire grilled items and Southern-inspired sides aimed at both neighborhood diners and downtown workers, though the owners have not announced an official opening date.
City support and lease details
Richardson is not just cheering from the sidelines, it is helping foot part of the bill. To support renovations, the city approved tenant-improvement assistance for the project. According to Richardson Economic Development, the tenant agreed to a minimum 10-year lease and a minimum $1 million in capital investment, and the city has approved up to $160,000 in tenant-improvement grant funding to cover interior upgrades and a custom outdoor smoker enclosure. The space is described as about 3,200 square feet along Main Street, which economic development officials say will help anchor foot traffic downtown.
Menu, model and timing
Soulcraft's menu is set to center on low-and-slow smoked meats, live-fire grilled items and scratch-made Southern sides. The concept will operate under a Halal-focused culinary program that emphasizes sourcing and transparency, aiming to give diners clarity about what is on the plate. As reported by Community Impact, the opening date is still listed as TBD, and the fast-casual setup is intended to serve both dinner crowds and midday visitors.
Owner's pitch
“Soulcraft BBQ is about honoring the traditions of Texas barbecue while opening the table wider,” Terrance J. Hill, founder and operating partner of Two Twenty-Five, LLC, said in the Richardson Economic Development announcement. The owners say the concept is rooted in live-fire craftsmanship and inclusive hospitality, with an eye toward broadening who feels welcome at Main Street's dining tables.
Where this fits in downtown's rebound
The arrival of Soulcraft adds another dining option to a downtown that city leaders and local outlets say has been rebuilding in recent years. Community Impact and city reports have pointed to projects like Belt + Main and Interurban Common as catalysts for increased foot traffic and new small-business investment in The CORE District, trends that economic development officials say make Main Street more attractive to chef-driven concepts.
No firm opening date has been announced; city and community filings list the project as being in the tenant-improvement and permitting phase. We'll update this story once owners set a soft opening or ribbon-cutting date.
