Hot Springs' Texas Roadhouse, which held its grand opening for the public Monday at 3623 Central Ave., held its "soft" opening Saturday to benefit the Ouachita Children's Center.
As a dress rehearsal for the staff, people from the Hot Springs area were invited to come and eat a free meal and then encouraged to donate what they would have spent on their meal to support OCC. Managing partners Amber and Daniel Walsh came to Hot Springs this past year to open the new restaurant and made the decision to choose OCC as their nonprofit partner, a news release said.
The week prior to the soft opening, Texas Roadhouse cooks practiced preparing each dish they offer on their menu, including the restaurant's famed hand-cut steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs and made-from-scratch sides. They donated those prepared meals not only to Ouachita Children's Center but also to Teen Challenge of Arkansas.
"Texas Roadhouse believes in giving back to every community we serve, and we are thrilled to partner with OCC in Hot Springs," Amber Walsh said in the release.
OCC operates an emergency shelter for youths in Hot Springs, offers educational support groups and case management for youths and families in both Hot Springs and Arkadelphia, and provides therapeutic, trauma-informed care for those who come to them for help. OCC will also soon open two new programs: a drop-in center for homeless youth and a domestic violence center.
"The Ouachita Children's Center is a wonderful resource for the children of Hot Springs," Daniel Walsh said. "It provides outreach services for families and is an emergency shelter for children in crisis. We're excited to partner with this amazing organization and can't imagine a more meaningful way to celebrate our opening."
The restaurant held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Monday and opened to the public for dinner at 4 p.m.
Based in Louisville, Ky., Texas Roadhouse opened its doors in 1993 and has more than 525 locations in 49 states and eight countries.
Entertainment on 11/30/2018