By Mark Miller
Restaurants have been in the lives of Nik Elezi and his sister Ruki Salihi since growing up near Chicago, so it’s no surprise they continued the family tradition when they tired of the cold winters and business climate and moved to North Texas.
The 30-year-old Nik arrived in 2016, with his 35-year-old sister and her husband Max following just before the pandemic in 2020.
“Originally, the plan was to get out of Illinois and try something different and have a change of scenery,” Nik said. “Restaurants are all I know. We didn’t know much about Texas. We didn’t know what to expect.”
They quickly learned Texas has a vastly different lifestyle, yet is far better economically. After establishing themselves first in Southlake, then later in Mansfield and Dallas, they brought their talents to the Alliance Town Center last June with the opening of 360 Brunch House.
Everything about the 190-seat restaurant is unlike most breakfast-lunch locations, from its décor and music to a full-service bar to a menu that includes lamb and lobster to go with traditional eggs, pancakes, waffles, and sandwiches.
“We’re definitely an upscale place,” Nik said. “We’re not a traditional breakfast place. Having a full, hand-crafted cocktail bar is something I haven’t come across at a single breakfast place.”
Their journey started at a 50-seat diner their parents Ali and Nina owned in Mount Morris, Illinois. Dad’s first job after immigrating to the U.S. from Albania in the 1980s was bussing tables and washing dishes, saving enough money to open the diner. Nik and Ruki started helping as soon as they were able.
“That’s where it all began,” Nik said. “We started learning what it takes to operate a restaurant.”
As adults, Nik, Ruki, and Max parlayed that knowledge to open their own restaurant called Sunfield in Ottawa, which had 350 seats and a menu featuring 400 entrees.
“My dad’s diner taught us work ethic and what it takes. What really drove us to do more and want more was Sunfield,” Nik said. “That’s where we learned the tricks of the trade and what it took to run a big restaurant and establish a brand.”
Quickly noticing so many lunch and dinner places once he arrived in Texas, Nik decided to buck the trend at a place called Mangos Breakfast and Brunch in Southlake.
“That was kind of our trial location to get a feel for the market in one of the best zip codes in all of America,” Nik said. “It was a smaller place. We wanted to see what works and what doesn’t work. It worked out very well. It’s still there eight years later.”
Once Nik understood the area and established a name in the market, their landlord in Mansfield came to Mangos asking if they were looking to expand. Wanting to do something bigger and better, they sold Mangos and opened the first 360 Brunch House. Unfortunately, two weeks after they started, the world shut down because of Covid 19.
Challenged to somehow survive throughout the early phases, they bought and sold other items like toilet paper, paper towels, and eggs by the carton. Not wanting the large amount of food ordered for their opening to spoil, they donated most of it to the local hospital.
Once the pandemic eased, they resumed normal operations in Mansfield while eying the Alliance area.
“What I loved from the moment we launched the Mansfield location was when people walked in over and over again, they said ‘oh, wow. I was expecting this. It’s beautiful. It’s amazing.’” Nik said.
With no spots initially available, they sold out in Mansfield and focused on a Dallas location near Southern Methodist University. Then when the previous Shuck Me restaurant closed in Alliance, they jumped at the chance, gutting and finishing the facility in just four months.
“We’re getting good feedback from our customers. We’re definitely here to make our mark for the long haul,” said Nik, whose family will open another location in Frisco later this year.
“Everything is headed in the right direction. We’re definitely excited to be part of this community. It’s been a long time coming – four years to open in this area.”