DALLAS — Rob Friedman has added Dallas’s Fire and Ice to his restaurant portfolio, and is promising to keep what is most popular about the place while updating and improving the customer experience.
“Living in the Back Mountain, I drive by that place almost every day.” Friedman said. “It’s got a very rich history, It’s got a great location — an amazing location. It’s got a real cool vibe to it.”
Friedman said the owners called him a few months ago and said they were interested in selling, and that they came to an agreement “which we closed yesterday.”
“I’m excited to continue the tradition but in addition to that make it much better,” Friedman said. “I’m currently in the process of cleaning up the outside, I’m finishing painting the entire outside, landscaping it. We have some masonry work to do. I have plans to make the inside more comfortable.”
Fans need not worry about missing any time at the restaurant during the holiday season. Friedman said he will keep Fire and Ice open through Jan. 1, doing any work without disrupting service. He expects to close the first week of January for any major work, but plans to have carpentry prefabricated for quick installation and a short break before it opens again.
“We’re going to really freshen up the whole place, but at the same time keep the historical reputation it has for food, and keeping it a moderately-priced casual dining/comfort dining kind of place. I am going to be changing the menu, keeping the stuff that have become staples that people have grown to love, but also putting some great new items on the lunch and dinner menu that people can enjoy.”
Friedman also said he plans to “keep a lot of the people who currently work there, but to add people to improve service, the food and the overall experience.”
Fire and Ice is added to an impressive array of dining and hospitality offerings already owned by Friedman: Kevin’s Bar & Restaurant in Kingston, the Beaumont Inn in Dallas, Cork Bar and Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, Grico’s Restaurant in Exeter, Back Mountain wedding venue Friedman Farms and the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains Township.
“My interest is always places that had a really cool reputation and an interesting history” he said.
