Shortly after the founding of the independent Republic of Texas in 1836 came the incorporation

of its most populous city, named after the new nation's war hero president, Sam Houston.

A century and a half later, long after Texas was annexed as a U.S. state, Restra Tour,

George Beale and two business partners founded an upscale eatery in Nashville, Tennessee,

naming it after Texas' oil industry Megalopolis.

Marshall's creation brought fine dining to the masses, making it a standout in the chain

restaurant industry which generally stresses cost-cutting and efficiency to maximize market

share.

That atypical corporate philosophy carried through to its branding, as the chain grew

at expanded beyond Houston's to include over a dozen different names dotted across

the country, with heavily overlapping but not 100% uniform menus.

It stunningly consists in upscale food and services to earn the admiration of both

civilians and hospitality industry elite, a recent bone-apetite profile by Andrew Norton

proclaimed it, quote, America's favorite restaurant, and noted its popularity with food

celebs Danny Meyer and David Chang, as well as regular celebs Shaquille O'Neal.

It's a brand that, under the stewardship of Beale's son Brian Noun compasses nearly

50 restaurants nationwide.

Houston, Spandara, Grill, Gulfstream, R&D Kitchen, and as of 2009, one with the same name

as the restaurant group itself.

This week on Doe Boys, Hill Stone.

Welcome to Doe Boys, the podcast about chain restaurants.

I'm Nick Weiger alongside my co-host, the smooth man Mike Mitchell.

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