In Richardson, five friends have quietly become key players in the city’s growing food scene. As co-owners of three successful restaurants, their partnership is built on decades of friendship and a shared vision of quality and community investment. What began as a simple idea between friends has evolved into a business venture that’s not only fed thousands but also contributed to the city’s economic vitality. Their story offers a look at how personal relationships and strategic investment can leave a lasting mark on a city’s development.

The Five Friends

Richardson residents Greg Cooney, Don Bouvier, Anthony Bolner, Dave Swiney, and Steve Gumbert have each called Richardson home for more than 25 years. Together, they operate under the name CCBC Enterprises, short for Canyon Creek Burger Crowd. Despite their success in the restaurant industry, none of them started out in food service. Bouvier and Bolner are both in commercial real estate. Gumbert works in industrial distribution and Swiney is retired from KPMG, where he worked in business advisory and legal consulting. Cooney was formerly in the insurance industry prior to jumping into real estate development, among other things.  Cooney and Bouvier serve as the managing partners for the restaurants.

A Vision Takes Shape

In 2002, Canyon Creek Plaza, a once-thriving retail space,e was dealt a major blow after its anchor tenant, Tom Thumb, moved out. The vacancy sparked a heated local debate: should the space be repurposed for a Montessori school, or should the shopping center be preserved and revitalized?  As a member of the Canyon Creek HOA board, Bouvier led the efforts to ensure the shopping center could be revitalized into a mixed-use development.

Ultimately, the City Council sided with revitalization, approving a planned development zoning to allow for a broader vision. Long before CCBC was formed, Cooney and a couple of partners spearheaded efforts to reimagine the struggling center, raised local neighborhood investment dollars, rezoned the shopping center, and ultimately purchased it in 2004. Their initial efforts were met with skepticism from the broader business community. Many doubted that a tucked-away center in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood could ever become a successful commercial hub.  The shopping center was rebranded as II Creeks.

The Birth of Shady’s

At the time, Richardson was largely considered a bit of a food desert. Michael Marks was the first restaurant to open following the major remodeling of II Creeks. Frankie’s, now occupied by Dos Arroyos, was the second, followed by Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream in 2011. The friends who would later form CCBC Enterprises envisioned something different but complementary to what was already there, a super relaxed, patio-centric, casual place where people could gather, celebrate, and connect.

As friends meeting up at II Creeks, they would often talk amongst themselves about opening their place.  By the summer of 2012, and with Cooney’s involvement managing II Creeks, that vision gained momentum when the hair salon occupying the space, which would eventually become Shady’s, decided to close their doors.  The group began sketching out plans for a place with the charm of Cheers casual, community-focused eatery. After talking with neighbors, testing the idea among friends, and drumming up support, 27 investors joined the cause. On April 1, 2013, Shady’s Burgers & Brewhaha officially opened.

Chili’s founder, Larry Lavine, provided early guidance as a consultant. The group met every Wednesday morning to plan at the Canyon Creek Country Club until its launch.  “A lot of folks helped,” said Bouvier. “If not for the commitment of the Canyon Creek neighborhood, our families and friends, it wouldn’t have happened. It was the encouragement we needed.”

 

Expansion into Lake Highlands

The early success of Shady’s proved the neighborhood restaurant model worked, and not just in Canyon Creek. As the group began exploring locations for a second restaurant, they found themselves in Lake Highlands, another community lacking in local dining options. A friend of the group pointed them to the location, and during a site visit, a large shade tree caught their eye. It felt like a sign.

Once again, the team turned to local investors. Within just 10 days, they crowdfunded the new restaurant this time with backing from both Richardson and Lake Highlands residents. On July 20, 2016, the second Shady’s Burgers & Brewhaha opened its doors.

The Fifth

When a restaurant tenant at II Creeks decided to close, fearful of what might become of the space, CCBC saw an opportunity. They transformed the space into The Fifth, a fine-dining concept that opened on Valentine’s Day in 2019. The name came naturally, it was the fifth restaurant in that location, and fittingly, it was launched by the same five friends.

Giving Back

Community support goes both ways. CCBC Enterprises gives back to local causes, including neighborhood schools, youth organizations, and local high school programs. They regularly support Young Life’s Wing-a-Thon and host a nondenominational men’s Bible study every Friday at 6:30 a.m. at Shady’s, a tradition that’s continued for more than a decade.

Both Bouvier and Swiney are graduates of Leadership Richardson. They’re active Chamber members and regularly hire neighborhood teens, offering them their first jobs. “We’ve hired hundreds of kids,” said Cooney. “We make sure it’s a great experience, so the lasting impact is a positive one.”

Leaving A Legacy

Today, other cities are reaching out to CCBC Enterprises to understand what the “secret sauce” is that makes their model work. As for their own future plans, the group says they are “noodling around new ideas all the time…but nothing newsworthy yet.”

Former Richardson City Manager Bill Keffler sums up their legacy best: “As City Manager, I had the good fortune of working with some very successful developers and restaurant entrepreneurs, but to work with [CCBC Enterprises] on such an impactful project was one of the highlights of my career. The group was able to overcome historical impediments It has indeed been a pleasurable relationship, and I am proud to call them good friends.”

Thanks to the early leadership and the bold vision brought to life by five friends and the unwavering support of a community that believed in them, Richardson is no longer just a place to live. It’s become a foodie’s destination. It’s a place to gather, to share stories, and to grab a really good burger.