The Davis and Lola Restaurant Park Already Has a Track Record, in Benbrook

At the northwest corner of Davis Boulevard and Lola Drive, two restaurant buildings face each other across open ground. That open ground is the reason the project exists. As of early October, a Jakes Burgers and a Tacos & Avocados at 5301 Davis Blvd. are both labeled "coming soon." Between them sits a shared lawn MAD Concepts Group calls The Backyard.

The same company, working with the same developer, opened the same pairing in Benbrook in April 2026. Six months of that site show how the yard gets used week to week, what the posted hours look like, and where the local debate ended up.

The Yard Was the Pitch From Day One

When the city announced the project in July 2025, it didn't lead with burgers. It described two full-service restaurants of 4,000 to 5,000 square feet each, every one with a full bar and outdoor seating. Both would be built around a backyard with dedicated play areas for kids. The city called a sit-down restaurant park "a top request from residents." It framed the deal as a way to bring back a mature commercial corridor and support the commercial property around it.

Carter Wilson, founder of developer Blue Plate Network, explained why the land wasn't simply turned into a park. The Fort Worth Report carried his statement:

"If this site were simply a park, it would be activated only a few days a year for special events. Instead, we are developing two high-quality restaurants with an engaging yard that will serve as an energized gathering place year-round."

Mayor Jack McCarty said the city was "making a small investment to turn an underutilized property into something that delivers amenities citizens have asked for." According to the city's announcement, the city's share was a small part of the total cost and was funded without property-tax dollars. The announcement doesn't give a dollar figure. The city broke ground on December 5, 2025, and at the time projected an opening about a year later.

The yard is the core of what the city signed up for, so Benbrook's Backyard is the closest preview available.

Benbrook Ran the Same Playbook First

The Fort Worth Report noted in July 2025 that MAD Concepts was building a similar project in Benbrook with the Benbrook Economic Development Corp. and Blue Plate Network. It opened first. Side by side, the two sites line up closely.

Benbrook's order of events is the best guide to timing on Davis. Jakes opened first with a training week ahead of the grand opening, and Tacos & Avocados followed a couple of weeks later. CultureMap Fort Worth reported on September 30 that a release puts Jakes in North Richland Hills in mid-to-late October, with Tacos & Avocados "coming online in the following weeks." CultureMap also reported the NRH site has about 10,000 square feet of indoor dining across the two buildings.

The company has been growing while all of this was built. The July 2025 city announcement counted 12 Jakes locations across Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco. By September 2026, CultureMap counted 14 across DFW. The Davis Boulevard Tacos & Avocados will be the brand's third, after Carrollton and Benbrook.

What the Backyard Does on an Ordinary Week

MAD Concepts' own page for The Backyard describes the Benbrook site. It has more than an acre of turf, oversized outdoor TVs for big games, music across the yard, and seasonal live music on weekends. Jakes serves its full menu in the yard, including 20 draft beers, and the yard is open daily, weather permitting.

The ground rules matter for anyone planning to bring kids or a dog:

• The yard is fully fenced with soft turf.
• The playground is built for ages 5 to 12.
• Weapons, projectiles and glass aren't allowed in the yard.
• Leashed, well-behaved pets are welcome, with pet relief areas outside the fence.

The events calendar is what keeps people coming back after the first visit. In Benbrook it has included trivia with the Benbrook Public Library, bootcamp fitness sessions, movie nights, live music, Cowboys watch parties, face painting and bingo. One of those is a partnership with the local library. That suggests the programming leans on local organizations, so the NRH lineup may look different once it gets going.

MAD co-founder and COO Bob Gregg described the goal in a statement quoted by CultureMap Fort Worth. He said it was a space "where birthdays are celebrated, kids can play while parents relax, friends gather after work, and neighbors become regulars."

Where Benbrook's Conversation Landed

About six weeks after opening, Benbrook Life looked at how residents were responding. Opinions on the food were mixed. Some people loved it, some thought it was overpriced, and some thought the menu missed the mark. The same piece noted many residents pointing to packed parking lots, busy patios and crowded dining rooms. Others said they valued having a place close to home where families can gather and kids can play.

Benbrook Life also described the setup that led there. Residents had asked for years for more sit-down restaurants and family gathering spaces, and once the options arrived, the talk moved quickly from anticipation to critique. North Richland Hills is starting from the same place. The city described this project as a top resident request, so the first months on Davis may well bring the same mix of crowds and debate over value.

The Benbrook debate wasn't about the yard. It was about price and menu, while the turnout and the family space were what drew praise. Both points will matter on Davis.

What's on the Menus

Jakes was founded in 1985 in East Dallas and was acquired by MAD Concepts in 2021. The menu has grown well past burgers and hand-cut fries to include chicken sandwiches, quesadillas, wings, nachos, mac and cheese bowls, and platters like chicken-fried steak.

Tacos & Avocados calls its food "Mex-Tex." Tacos include chorizo, green chile pork, shrimp, quesabirria, and a "gringo" taco with ground beef. There are also protein bowls, fajitas, and sour cream chicken enchiladas. This fall's seasonal cocktail is a pumpkin margarita made with Casamigos reposado.

Three Things Still Unsettled on Davis

A few details about the NRH site don't line up across sources, and none had been resolved as of October 11.

1. Opening dates. Jakes' location page has posted NRH hours, but it still shows a "Coming Soon" graphic and gives no date. Tacos & Avocados lists its hours as "TBD." The October timing comes from a release CultureMap reported, not from an announced grand opening.
2. Size of the yard. The city's 2025 announcement described a one-acre backyard. The NRH page on the Tacos & Avocados site now calls it three acres of turf, with a kickball field, a 50-yard sports field, shaded seating and backyard games. If the larger figure holds, the Davis yard would be bigger than Benbrook's, which MAD describes as more than an acre.
3. Suite numbers. CultureMap listed the park at 5301 Davis Blvd. #100. The Tacos & Avocados site lists #200, which may simply mean each building has its own suite.

Planning the First Visit

The hours Jakes has posted for NRH match Benbrook's: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Weekends start earlier: Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days. In Benbrook, that weekend-morning window lines up with a fenced yard and a playground for ages 5 to 12. The NRH pages so far describe turf, a kickball field and a sports field, but they don't yet say whether the Davis yard will have the same fence and playground.

The park also joins other new arrivals on the same road. The city's October 2026 newsletter lists Arova Modern Flatbread at 5750 Davis Blvd. #307 and Foundation Element at 5340 Davis Blvd. #102 in its New Business Spotlight.

Rose Group Realty keeps track of how projects like the Davis and Lola park change the corridors around them. If you'd like to talk through what new development on south Davis means for your street, schedule a free consultation with Clint and Lindsey.