Profiles In Business Excellence: Really Cooking

     Stepping into Really Cooking Cafe and Supper Club along Route 309 in Dallas feels like you've walked into a high-end New York City restaurant. Warm colors, dimmed lights, upscale furnishings, and a crooning Frank Sinatra create an elegant and relaxed atmosphere that you begin to experience before you are even seated.
     Behind the refined ambiance of Really Cooking and the excellent food are George Creel and Gregory Allen, both who have previously worked in New York City and also owned a home-based catering business in the Poconos. They relocated to Dallas in May of 2006 because their business was rapidly expanding. Their growth was in large part due to their insistence on using only the freshest, best-quality foods. Creel and Allen visited many restaurants and noticed that the food was over-processed and not fresh enough. They wanted to create a place where the food was actually cooked in-house from scratch.
     In less than two years, they have experienced such success that this summer they expanded to the room next door, nearly doubling the amount of seating. A piano bar, open-mic nights, a newly-developed website, and a selection of quality alcoholic beverages are other features Really Cooking is adding, along with a greater emphasis placed on dining over catering.
     Really Cooking's food, including its highly praised desserts, and casual, classy atmosphere are enjoyable for those of all ages.
"We see everyone from a great-grandma to a great-great-granddaughter, sometimes even at the same table," said Creel.
     He added that Really Cooking lends itself to a feeling of community.      Sometimes diners come in strangers but strike up a conversation and leave as friends.
     Allen plays the piano and often provides the entertainment during evenings.
     "Where else can you go where the guy on the piano playing a set for you is the same guy who prepared your food?," asked Creel. "Many of the restaurants in the area feature sports bars and televisions. Really Cooking offers a sophisticated alternative, with quality food and attentive service."