The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is a Fort Worth institution. So too is Pulido’s Kitchen and Cantina, a fixture of the city’s dining scene since 1966.
And this year, the two will join together, as Pulido’s, now part of the locally owned Westland Restaurant Group, will have a location on the stock show grounds.
“I’m excited as I can be about it,” said Bourke Harvey, managing partner at Westland Restaurant Group. “We’ve catered events on-site and off-site at the stock show, but this year we’ll actually be a part of it.”
Harvey, along with operating partner Gigi Howell, acquired Pulido’s in late 2023 just as the restaurant was preparing to close for good. He said one of the company’s goals in reviving the restaurant is to be more involved in events like the stock show and further integrate the Pulido’s brand into the city’s culture.
“That’s why we’re doing more work at the botanic gardens, things like that,” he said. “We want to be part of Fort Worth and build our brand in the process.”
The official name of the location at the stock show will be Pulido’s Rodeo Kitchen. It will be located in the Centennial Room at the Moncrief Building.
While Pulido’s and the stock show are echoes of Fort Worth’s past, the new restaurant is lassoing some new technology to better serve its customers.
Pulido’s Rodeo Kitchen will have seating for about 40, but Harvey knows that many of the exhibitors and kids showing animals need to eat, too. They have worked with some of their point-of-sale vendors to develop efficient online ordering systems to cater to the people at the show who have limited time for a meal.
“A lot of those kids showing their animals and exhibitors, they don’t want to leave their animals or the area for long,” said Harvey. “So we’ve worked to make it very efficient for them, with a QR code, to order food and not be gone from their stall or whatever for long.”
Pulido’s isn’t the only restaurant benefiting from the influx of foot traffic between Jan. 17 and Feb. 8. According to Visit Fort Worth, about a third of visitors to the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo hail from outside Fort Worth. While the visitors spend much of their time at the stock show, they also frequent the city’s hotels, restaurants and shopping centers before and after the show.
Visit Fort Worth says more fans, up 12%, are staying on the grounds and attending events such as the Roadhouse concert series or eating at area restaurants instead of saddling up and going home.
The 125th edition of the show in 2022 brought in $115 million in direct spending and attracted 1.2 million people, according to a stock show report to Fort Worth City Council that May.
This is the second year that two of the city’s new high-end hotels — The Crescent Hotel Fort Worth and Bowie House — have sought to corral and market to the stock show’s more well-heeled crowd.
The Bowie House will be offering several special events, including a showcase of Fort Worth musical talent, complimentary boot shines, and line dancing and two-stepping lessons.
Harvey, who is also a partner or owns restaurants in seven other states, said the stock show and its timing is an economic bonanza for Fort Worth restaurants and the hospitality industry. The first couple of months after the holidays are the worst time in the restaurant business, he said.
“At my restaurants in other states, after the holidays, it’s not a question of ‘are we going to lose money?’ It’s a question of ‘how much?’” he said. “Not here. The stock show sets Fort Worth apart and for restaurants, hotels, all hospitality, it means a lot. And for some restaurants, it means everything.”
Harvey also caters to the stock show crowd at his Curly’s Frozen Custard restaurant at 4017 Camp Bowie Blvd., just a few blocks from the event. He has served a Cow Patty special featuring a brownie and chocolate custard for several years during the stock show. This year, requests for the special concoction began in November.
“I started serving it two months early this year because I had so many requests,” he said. “That’s the power of the stock show.”
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
Related
The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is in full swing, and the city’s hospitality industry is reaping the benefits. From hotels and restaurants to bars and shops, businesses are seeing a surge in visitors as cowboys and cowgirls flock to town for the annual event.
With rodeo performances, livestock shows, and a bustling midway, there’s no shortage of entertainment for attendees. And when they’re not at the show, visitors are exploring all that Fort Worth has to offer, from the historic Stockyards to the vibrant downtown area.
Hotels are booking up, restaurants are bustling, and shops are seeing an increase in foot traffic. The city’s hospitality industry is kicking up its heels and welcoming guests with open arms.
So if you’re in Fort Worth during the stock show, be sure to join in on the fun and experience the true spirit of Texas hospitality. Yee-haw!
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