Six months after closing its final San Antonio location, Mongolian barbecue chain Genghis Grill is stirring again to life. Native franchisee Jeff Macaitis has acquired the model with a brand new outpost within the Embassy Oaks Procuring Middle at 226 W. Bitters Rd.
When the Genghis Grill at 1903 N. Loop 1604 closed in December 2025, it appeared just like the franchise was pulling out of San Antonio completely. The restaurant shuttered with out warning, and the corporate didn’t difficulty a press release. However in March, the Instagram profile run by the Macaitis household started teasing a rebirth.
Dallas entrepreneur Jeff Sinell based Genghis Grill in 1998 when he took over the positioning of an present stir-fry restaurant. On the time, Mongolian barbecue spots had been fashionable, combining an all-you-can-eat expertise with Japanese steakhouse showmanship.
Sinell’s chief innovation was charging by the bowl. Visitors would fill an outsized bowl with proteins, noodles, greens, and sauces, which had been then cooked on a big round flat-top grill. With a cheaper price than its AYCE contemporaries, the idea quickly turned fashionable for lunch and fast dinners.
At one time, the chain had nearly 100 nationwide areas. That quantity has been drastically diminished lately, with the web site now itemizing solely 13 storefronts, largely in Texas.
Since buying Genghis Grill in 2023, Illinois-based Craveworthy Manufacturers has made strikes to revitalize the chain. Former Jimmy John’s CEO Gregg Majewski instituted a wide range of adjustments, together with sooner cooking occasions and smaller restaurant footprints.
Though the build-your-own bowl format nonetheless exists, Genghis Grill’s menu is a far cry from the unique format. Visitors can order from a wide range of chef-created bowls, lots of which — like jambalaya fried rice and bacon ranch quesadillas — don’t have anything to do with Mongolian barbecue.
“Once you have a look at issues with a brand new set of eyes, and take the time to determine what’s really needed in a model, and you haven’t any sacred cows you are apprehensive about since you’re new, it is rather a lot simpler to seek out new issues than you assume,” Majewski instructed commerce website Franchise Occasions.
