Dallas restaurateur Mark Brezinski launching fast-casual version of Bengal Coast

by Teresa Gubbins

ALLEN — If you're a recipient of the Bengal Coast newsletter, perhaps you spotted this little tease at the bottom:

It's twue: Founder Mark Brezinski says that he's going to take Bengal Coast into the fast-casual mode.

"When I built Bengal Coast, I built it so that it had a fast-casual component that works like a Pei-Wei," says Pei-Wei co-founder Brezinski. "It has its own entrance and local office people use it. We used that as a prototype for going forward, and getting back into fast-casual arena with this style of food. So it'll be like Pei Wei but with more South Asian, Indian, Indonesian, and Thai food."

He's hoping to forge a hybrid of Pei Wei and what he's learned at Bengal Coast. For example, at the new concept, there'll be a bar. And there'll be foods cooked outside of woks -- grilled items and wraps that are popular at Bengal Coast.

The deal to open at The Village at Fairview, at the northeast corner of Stacy Road and US 75 in Allen, is still not complete -- "we're still negotiating," he says -- but he's looking to get it open by spring 2010.