George’s Restaurant, known for its good-time atmosphere, Big O goblets of beer and chicken-fried steak, will open a second location in Waco, this one in the growing WestRock Centre on Hewitt Drive.

Owner Sammy Citrano confirmed Wednesday he has signed a lease on the former Hondo’s location and will remodel it for a grand opening in mid-September.

Citrano has turned George’s in South Waco into a popular gathering place for longtime Wacoans, Baylor University students and visitors from Big 12 cities in town for sporting events.

Sammy Citrano, the owner of George’s Restaurant, stands in front of the new location on Hewitt Drive.
Jerry Larson/Tribune-Herald

Citrano said he’s excited about this new chapter in the George’s tradition.

“You are only as good as your last meal, and I’m confident that our customers will find the service and menu to be an extension of our original location” at 1925 Speight Ave., Citrano said.

He will renovate the space formerly occupied by successive sports bars, Beef O’Brady’s and Hondo’s, and will build a 1,230-square-foot Big O Deck.

Citrano said he’s proud that several longtime George’s employees and family members will have a 30 percent stake in the restaurant, while he will have 70 percent ownership.

“There are a great number of people who have helped me be successful, and I want some of them to have the opportunity to become a partner – to have real ownership in the business,” Citrano said.

These partners include Citrano’s son, Kyle Citrano; his nephew, Kevin Chirafis; longtime catering manager Paula Owen; and longtime restaurant manager Kevin Lopez. Citrano’s wife, Delonda, also gets involved in the business.

Kyle Citrano and Kevin Chirafis will oversee the new George’s, Sammy Citrano said, while Lopez will continue to oversee operations at the “mother ship” and Owen will remain catering manager.

Sammy Citrano said he watched Waco’s suburbs blossom, and he thought a second George’s to serve Hewitt, Woodway, West Waco, Robinson and McGregor would do well.

“If the crowds for Big 12 events continue to grow, it can handle the overflow,” Citrano said, adding customers who sometimes avoid the long drive to South Waco will be able to eat at George’s more often.

The new George’s will create more traffic for WestRock Centre, which already has more than 45,000 vehicles a day driving by it, said Brad Davis, a local real estate agent who markets the center.

“I’m not sure any restaurant can be as popular as the current George’s, but living in the Hewitt/Woodway area, I know people out here are very excited,” said Steve Smith, senior vice president for sports and special events at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. “With its duplicate menu and quality, it could be a great addition to Hewitt Drive.”

The George’s tradition began in 1930, when Harry Burmeister opened Harry B’s. In 1967, George Betros bought Harry B’s, changed the name to George’s Bar and catered to fans of chicken-fried steak and beer.

Citrano, who grew up in the restaurant business and once managed The Elite on Waco’s traffic circle, bought George’s in 1993 and has transformed it into an international attraction. Among his achievements is catering meals for functions that former President George W. Bush hosted at his ranch near Crawfordh.

Since buying George’s, Citrano has added the Big O Deck and the George’s Too Banquet Hall. He introduced live music and initiated the George’s Party Zone near Floyd Casey Stadium on Baylor football game days.

The iconic restaurant has been immortaliized by country singer and Waco native Pat Green, who unveiled a song titled “George’s Bar” in 1997. In it, Green sings, “I still go to George’s and drink my beer.”

George’s on Hewitt Drive likely will employ about 80 people — 20 fewer than the South Waco original — and will sell menu items fans have come to enjoy.

The air-conditioned Big O Deck will accommodate smokers. And Citrano will strategically place big-screen TVs through the new restaurant. The new George’s will open seven days a week and have a full-service bar.

mcopeland@wacotrib.com

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