SAN ANTONIO – During the COVID-19 pandemic the hospitality industry has been hit hard, but that has not stopped the Thompson San Antonio Hotel from opening. And the pandemic is not stopping the new restaurant inside from opening soon either.
The Thompson San Antonio Hotel and the restaurant called Landrace is set to open to the public on Feb. 18, 2021.
“Well, for a restaurant, and restaurant operators myself, it’s been tricky. It’s been tough, you know. If we’ve learned anything this past year it’s that people, they want what they know, and they want what they crave,” Landrace executive chef Steve McHugh said. “Probability is key, as is simple food, good ingredients. Cooking simply is really where it’s at right now.”
The hotel and restaurant will bring 75 new jobs to the San Antonio area, and could prompt more businesses and foot traffic to head downtown. Landrace said it will bring a new atmosphere and vibe to the area.
The Thompson San Antonio, located near the River Walk, will open in early 2021.
“Well, food for me right now, especially after this past year, it’s cooking at its most elemental, buying really good ingredients. We’re dealing with a myriad of Texas producers. I call it Texas terroir, and we’re cooking at very simply over Mesquite and Postoak. So it’s taking food back to its most elemental. I think the last 10, 15 years, it’s been all about molecular gastronomy, trickery, trying to find the most crazy ingredients we could get our hands on. And I think, like I said, people now really want simple food cooked simply,” McHugh said.