Today we’d like to introduce you to Burak and Stephanie Ozcan.
Burak and Stephanie Ozcan are the husband and wife duo behind Firewheel’s only chef-driven restaurant: Ferah Tex-Med Kitchen.
Burak is a chef who has spent the last 16 years mastering international cuisine in gourmet kitchens around the world. Growing up in Turkey, Burak discovered his passion for cooking and hospitality at a very young age. Burak has always dreamed of owning his own restaurant and has managed kitchens in gourmet restaurants and hotels across DFW and Houston since arriving to Texas 10 years ago. After working with chef Stephan Pyles in Dallas, Burak developed a passion for combining Southwestern/Texan cuisine with his Mediterranean roots. In 2015 his creative combination, Tex-Med cuisine, was born!
Stephanie is a free-spirited creative and communications professional who has climbed the corporate ladder while maintaining time for her own artistic pursuits, With an eye for interior design and passion for branding, Stephanie knew she and Burak offered a unique combo, creating a team capable of bringing their dream of owning a restaurant to life. Stephanie designed the restaurant’s interior and manages Ferah’s branding, website, social media, and sales operations.
While driving around Firewheel Town Center in summer of 2018, Burak stumbled upon leasing information and called the phone number on a whim. Fast forward a couple of months and Ferah was becoming a reality.
Stephanie and Burak believe that great food and beautiful decor are not enough to make a successful restaurant. Hospitality is the heart of Ferah and delivering a unique and five-star experience is their goal for each guest. They refer to their team as the Ferah Family, signifying the warmth and comfort they hope to bring to each dining experience.
Stephanie and Burak are proud to live in the area and create a place for the community to gather for memorable meals. Starting the restaurant would not have been possible if it weren’t for the expertise and support provided by both sets of their parents. Whether it’s legal advice, construction guidance, recipe testing or rolling up their sleeves to help with prep or dishes… Ferah is truly a family’s labor of love.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Creating the Tex-Med cuisine concept and Ferah branding was the easy part, but bringing the vision to life had its challenges. We are grateful because considering the obstacles we feel that things went rather smoothly with opening the restaurant. New challenges arise daily but we have been able to roll with the punches by staying focused and solution-oriented. Part of being an entrepreneur is being open to uncertainty and the learning and growth that comes along with it. Burak and I both enjoy being in control of our own aspects of the business and anytime you work with outside parties things can become unpredictable. Our advice is not allowing yourself to be easily distracted and keep focusing on moving forward and building your business.
Please tell us about Ferah Tex-Med Kitchen.
We believe that our unique cuisine and commitment to hospitality set us apart. Our restaurant is built on providing an elevated dining experience right in our community. Like many of our neighbors, Burak and I used to drive to Plano or Dallas for a chef-driven, foodie experience. We wanted to bring something like that to our area. A gathering place for a casual meal or where you want to celebrate your special occasion. A restaurant that has dishes for a variety of dietary preferences… those who enjoy meat and potatoes, gluten-free friendly options, low-carb, vegetarian. Burak is passionate about visiting our guests and getting their feedback so we can improve and experiment with new menu items. We aim to provide gourmet cuisine, outstanding service and stunning ambiance at an incredible value.
Our team sets us apart. Ferah’s culinary team puts their heart into every dish and our front of house team treat guests like family. Hospitality is the heart of our company and we are grateful for an amazing team and incredible guests.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
There have been so many lessons learned. We are grateful to have this experience and frame of reference as we move on to our next location. We don’t believe in changing the past because every path is unique and happens the way it is meant to be.
Contact Info:
- Address: 690 Beebalm Lane
Garland TX 75040 - Website: www.ferahtexmed.com
- Phone: 972-496-0201
- Email: hello@ferahtexmed.com
- Instagram: @ferahtexmed
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ferahtexmed
Image Credit:
Bahadir Koseli, Ozkan Oz
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