Today we’d like to introduce you to TJ and Erin Mahoney.
Hi TJ and Erin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m TJ. My wife, Erin, and I are the proud owners of Anchor Bar, Round Rock.
I moved here during my freshman year of high school. After graduating from Round Rock High School, I served in the Marine Corps, got my degree from UT and worked at both Dell and HomeAway/Vrbo. I grew up a Vikings fan and am a Bills convert. Yes, my two NFL teams are 0-8 in Super Bowls.
Erin grew up south of Buffalo and is a die-hard Bills fan. After graduating from Rochester Institute of Technology, she moved around, eventually settling in Austin, where she is the Creative Director of Scribe Media. She’s also responsible for all the cool art you’ll see on our walls.
We have two sons; one is a senior at UT and the other is about to go play lacrosse at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia. And we have two dogs who visit our dog-friendly patio from time to time.
When Erin and I started dating, I would suggest getting wings for dinner. Her answer was always “no” because the wings around here weren’t good (she used more colorful language, but you get the idea). I would say, “Wings are wings, you’re just being a homer”.
Then we took a trip to Buffalo and she took me to the original Anchor Bar. I fully expected these wings to taste like all the other wings I’d had in my life. I took two bites and admitted, “Yes, these really are better”.
We would still occasionally get wings from area restaurants, but they weren’t as good as Anchor Bar. One night while eating take-out on the couch and having another sub-par wing experience I looked at Erin and asked, “What if we opened a real wing place around here?” She said, “Let’s do it!”
It took a few years for to pull it together, and when we created our corporation we named it YTRAB Wings, Inc, an acronym for “Yes, These Really Are Better”
We’ve been a part of this community for a long time, and we will continue to be very involved going forward. This is our home and we love everything about it.
The most unique thing about us is that our franchise invented the buffalo wing in Buffalo, NY in 1964.
I know we’re a franchise and you typically focus on Austin grown businesses, but we’re lived here a long time. Our “story” is at the bottom of this message.
On a Friday night in 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the now famous Anchor Bar Restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Late that evening, a group of Dominic’s friends arrived at the bar with ravenous appetites. Dominic asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat.
They looked like chicken wings, a part of the chicken that usually went into the stock pot for soup.
Teressa had deep fried the wings and flavored them with a secret sauce. The wings were an instant hit and it didn’t take long for people to flock to the bar to experience this new taste sensation. From that evening on, Buffalo Wings became a regular part of the menu at the Anchor Bar.
The phenomenon created in 1964 by Teressa Bellissimo has spread across the globe. Although many have tried to duplicate Buffalo Wings, the closely guarded secret recipe is what makes Frank & Teressa’s the proclaimed “Best Wings in the World.”
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We opened during Covid so we had challenges around:
– Sourcing equipment
– Staffing
– Just getting the word out about us
We’ve been impressed with Anchor Bar, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are known for inventing the Buffalo Chicken Wing in 1964.
Our wings are better than all the others around. We cook them to be crispy on the outside, while still being juicy on the inside.
We are a family-friendly sports bar with more than 50 TVs and 26 beers on draft. Plus a full bar with craft cocktails and wine.
We have a dog-friendly patio that we affectionally call Anchorbark.
Since we opened, we’ve worked to create a place that we would like to visit.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
We strive to deliver great food with a great experience. We’ve found that service has deteriorated over time and we wanted to have a place where people felt welcome and comfortable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anchorbar.com/locations/round-rock-tx/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anchorbaratx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnchorBarATX
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnchorBarATX
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anchor-bar-round-rock
