Is This A Thing? - The Republic + Primrose Path

Wade Barkman has been owner and executive chef at The Republic Steakhouse in College Station for the past decade. Now, he's actually building a new Republic, but adding a second concept (Primrose Path) next door.

In this episode of the "Is This A Thing?" podcast, Wade talks about his surviving in a tough business and describes the new restaurants that are currently under construction. Plus, he reveals his own "guilty pleasure" when it comes to food.

00:00 - Show open

01:00 - PART ONE: Wade starts from the beginning, including how he found Texas A&M, moved on to culinary school, then California, Vegas (thank you, Aggie Network) and finally back to CS in 2006.

08:20 - Wade finds his restaurant location -- home to three or four previous ones. (Can you name them?)

11:42 - The highs and lows of Chimney Hill: Why did Wade stay?

14:30 - How he found a concept -- The Republic -- that the town needed, even if he wasn't a steakhouse guy.

17:48 - Why dozens of restaurants have come and gone in 10 years, but The Republic has survived. "I would not wish this business on anyone."

19:47 - PART TWO: The Republic is being recreated + Primrose Path, a "gastro-pub wine bar."

21:13 - The differences between the old Republic and the new one.

24:14 - What is Primrose Path going to be?

26:58 - Will you miss the old building, or take anything with you to the new place?

28:07 - How was your development experience with the city of College Station?

30:11 - Sometime in fall 2018: Republic will open, with Primrose Path doing so about a month later.

30:49 - What's your guilty pleasure in terms of food?

31:49 - Show close

More on College Station economic development at grow.cstx.gov