Chuy's dirty little secret goes public

It hasn't been that well hidden, this dirty little secret of Chuy's. I've known for quite some time. I just convinced myself that it didn't make any difference. Nothing has changed. Now the whole world knows, or soon will. Chuy's, that bastion of Austin-style funkiness, shining icon of what's right about this town, is owned by a corporation. That's not the bad part. The bad part is that this corporation is based in New York City. Get a rope.

Yes, in 2006, Mike Young and John Zapp sold the business to Goode Partners, a New York based private equity firm. To be sure Mike and John seem to be still involved, but make no mistake. The suits are in charge.

I was okay with private, because truthfully, you can still get a Chuychanga with Queso that is identical to those those that have we feasted on for more than 25 years. But now Goode Partners has filed for a public stock sale. And a lot of the revenue from that offering is slated for expansion. Oh, I know that there are already 27 Chuy's restaurants located in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana. But next thing you know there will be one in Oklahoma. Or College Station. Is nothing sacred?

But wait, you say. Isn't this good news? Isn't this a chance to become a shareholder, a part owner, as it were? Isn't this like the oil bidness and everybody needs a few shares of Chuy's? Even if it is only .0084151%?

Folks, there's only so much disposable income. Which would you rather; have a chicken fajita burrito for dinner or file away a piece of paper? And before long folks from these far-away places - who think beef tips in brown gravy is a Tex-Mex dish - will be standing up at shareholder meetings calling for bell peppers instead of Hatch chilies, 'cause they like it mild!

I think I have to go drown my sorrows in some creamy jalapeno dip.