In our last blog, we looked at Mayor Cheney “in his own words.” And one thing became painfully clear: residents and business owners have more questions than answers. We pointed out that our very own Mayor somehow became the “Official Realtor” of the Rail District and proudly used this in his marketing.  Not sure how that happened?  Neither are we. Seems like a convenient title to slap on it when you’re the guy with the gavel and the guy with the yard signs. But here’s the question that really matters today:

Who’s knocking on Main Street’s doors right now?

Not the shoppers looking for a boutique candle. Not the residents grabbing tacos or a cup of coffee. Not the neighbors wanting to support local businesses. Are businesses in The Rail District getting visits from investors, developers, and opportunists?  Folks who see dollar signs where you see memories. They’re not coming with a smile and a handshake — they’re coming with contracts and cash offers.  Are property owners being pressured to sell? 

Are these small businesses — the ones who fought through COVID shutdowns, construction dust, and skyrocketing rents — now staring down the possibility of being bought out, flipped, and priced out. Let’s call it what it is: cashing in on a revitalized downtown.

We received this email, which left us with numerous questions.  It takes a lot for businesses in Frisco to reach out, because many fear retaliation for speaking up.  We commend Randy for speaking up and after reading his email, we are alarmed!  We are publishing the entire contents as we received it. 

Dear Whistleblower,

My name is Randy Burks, and I own Randy’s Steakhouse in downtown Frisco. Someone suggested I reach out to you regarding an experience I had that raises serious concerns.

Recently, I attended a meeting between Frisco city staff and downtown merchants about the ongoing Main Street construction. During the meeting, one merchant stated that 14 businesses had already closed due to the project. A city staff member laughed and asked whether those businesses closed because of the construction or because they were “bad operators.”

At that moment, no one in the room knew that I was facing severe financial difficulties—bouncing checks, draining my wife’s and my savings, and borrowing from family just to keep the doors open after 32 years in business. I stood up and told the group that Randy’s Steakhouse maintains 4.7 stars on OpenTable and 4.4 stars on Google, ranking among the top restaurants not only in Frisco but across the Metroplex. I asked if they thought I was a “bad operator.” It was humiliating to be forced to share personal financial struggles in front of both city staff and fellow merchants.

Other merchants then spoke up, saying their businesses were down 60–65% due to the construction. Just a few hours later, I received a text message from Jason Young asking if I was interested in selling my restaurant. While I’ve always been open to retirement discussions at a fair price, the timing felt far from coincidental.

We arranged to meet at 8:30 PM that evening, though he did not arrive until 9:00. He brought with him a man he introduced as Mark Hill, an attorney who he claimed worked with the CDC. Instead of discussing a purchase, Jason asked personal questions about my wife and daughter, while Mark Hill walked around the restaurant taking photos. After a while, I excused myself, angry that my time had been wasted.

The next day, Jason texted me an offer of $2 million for my restaurant. I replied that I would not sell for less than $4 million. Since then, I have heard—but cannot confirm—that his restaurant group includes investors such as Mayor Cheney and Donny Churchman.

I feel compelled to share this because of the sequence of events—the city staff’s dismissive remarks, Jason Young’s immediate outreach, and the potential involvement of city leadership—raises serious concerns of conflict of interest.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am prepared to provide additional details, messages, or documentation if helpful.

Sincerely,

Randy Burks

Randy’s Steakhouse

“Déjà Vu: Same Block, Different Spin”

While many love to believe we are biased here at Frisco Chronicles, we do try to be fair!  We reached out to Jason Young with some of our questions, and he quickly responded.  His comments are intertwined with our questions below.

1. What city staff member would laugh when a merchant says 14 businesses have closed already due to this project and after laughing ask if the business closed due to construction or because they were “bad operators?”  We talked to a source inside that meeting, and allegedly that staff member was Ben Brezina, Assistant City Manager.  Currently, we have no confirmation from the city Brezina was the staffer with the horrible attitude.

2. The timing of Jason Young’s text message to Randy Burks – is it strategic?  Is it coincidental?   Hours after Randy pours his heart out at a city meeting, another local business owner who happens to also be a developer is reaching out.  Just based on the optics, it doesn’t look good, in fact it looks bad, and it also feels very dirty in our opinion.   

We asked Jason Young this question and Jason replied, “I’m not sure what you mean by city meeting or circumstances or timing. I reached out to him because my friend had recently finished restoring a property in Downtown (city) and was looking for a new project. We also are looking at a similar historic home opportunity in Downtown (city) as a potential bed and breakfast, event venue or restaurant. I have projects in Downtown (city) and (city) as well. Our focus is on old downtowns in North Texas.  **Anywhere there was a city name, we removed it**

3. Mark Hill?  Mark Hill who is a Frisco ISD Board Member?  Mark Hill who is a member of the City of Frisco CDC Board? Why was Mark Hill allegedly taking photos of Randy Burks’ property?  Is Mark Hill the attorney of record for Jason Young’s business?  We go back to one word every time … OPTICS!!!  The way Randy describes it, it looks bad, it feels dirty, and you can’t blame him for asking the questions or for feeling the way he does.  It does not feel random!  It does not feel organic!

We asked Jason Young, when you went to visit Randy steakhouse, you brought with you Mark Hill.  Is he your attorney of record? Because the optics of it look as if someone from the EDC or CDC board came to scope out of business. Why would Mark Hill attend the meeting. 

Young replied, “The day I visited Randy I by happenstance was with Mark. I told him I was gonna go visit Randy and invited him to come with me to grab a burger at the bar while we chatted which we did. I’ve known Randy for 20 years, used to go weekly to eat from like 2004-2010 until I started dating my wife and she said no more lol.  Randy and I served on Frisco Convention and Bureau Board together. I hadn’t seen him in 8 years or so and Mark and I ate at the bar and caught up with Randy. He shared some health concerns, and he gave me a tour of his kitchen.

4. The 2-million-dollar text?  Why would you text someone an offer for their business?  Why not pick up the phone or send an email with the offer?  To us, after reading Randy’s letter, it felt like a fishing expedition on Young’s part, which made us wonder what he would use that intel for?  Again, that is how we FELT, there is no evidence that it was a fishing expedition. Given how we felt, we can fully understand why Randy is questioning the sequence of events and potential conflicts of interest.  The OPTICS don’t look good. 

In talking to Jason Young he stated, “It was simply a text question asking if he would be interested in selling to which he responded yes. So, I went and chatted with him for a few hours. The next day we had a text exchange about a value which we didn’t agree on and he said no hard feelings. It was very brief. No ill intent, just a question.”

5.  Three Empires Brewing

After reading the letter our natural reaction was to dig deeper.  In that quest, we heard Jason Young may have also invested in Three Empires Brewing on Main Street.  What we find interesting about that potential investment, is the owners of TEB back on September 4, 2024, went before city council during citizens input to tell the council the construction is taking a toll on their small family-owned business which they had put their life savings into. 

In our conversation with Jason Young, we asked him if he had made offers to any other downtown businesses.  Young replied, “In Sept of 2024, I made an investment in a minority percentage of Three Empires Brewing. In early July 2025, I had a brief conversation with Randy regarding the Steakhouse. In late August, another RD business approached me about potentially replacing one of its partners and I declined.”

We expressed our concern about the optics to Jason Young and flat out asked him if he has any business dealings with Mayor Cheney or Jeff Cheney Real Estate Mogul.  Young replied, “I have no business dealings with Jeff.  He is not at all and never has been an investor of mine.”

In The End: We are just Dazed & Confused

We go back to THE OPTICS … it does not look good!  To a “Regular Ole Joe,” it comes across as if a downtown business is in trouble due to the impacts of the construction.  That business then goes before the city council during citizens’ input and asks for help to stop the bleeding from the construction.  Next thing you know, Jason Young is reaching out to say hi! Oh, and wants to know if you are interested in selling or need an investor for your business. It doesn’t sound good, does it?   

We mentioned to Jason Young in our communication that he is a respected member of our community, and he is an influencer on social media; what he says carries weight with many people.  In the past, he has been strong in defending the city and council members.  Unfortunately, that does not help the optics of this situation. 

Randy Burks has every right to question the sequence of events because it does not feel like this meeting happened organically.  Unfortunately, that is the optics of the situation.  We have reported both sides and it is up to residents to determine what they believe is the truth.

For us here at Frisco Chronicles, after Mayor Cheney’s remarks today on his Facebook page, it does not feel like this is about “progress” or “vibrancy” — it feels like it is about control.  We believe there are potentially more players trying to buy up Main Street, lot by lot, brick by brick?  That leaves us wondering, who gets to decide what Frisco’s history is worth, and at what price?  Only time will tell …

For Residents: Get Out!  Go Downtown!  Shop Frisco First!  #SAVEMAIN

To be blunt: Shop, Eat Frisco First!  If you do, you could be saving one of these businesses from having to open their doors to an investor or developer.  By shopping and eating FRISCO FIRST, you are saving Main Street’s soul from being put on the negotiating table.  #SaveMain isn’t just a slogan. It’s a warning.  Because once the doors close and the deals are done, Main Street won’t look like Main Street anymore. It’ll look like somebody’s investment portfolio.

For more information visit SaveMain’s website: click here

For more information on The Rail District: click here

Disclaimer: The information presented in this blog post is based on publicly available records and sources believed to be accurate at the time of publication. Frisco Chronicles and its authors do not guarantee the completeness or reliability of this information and cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions, or outcomes resulting from its use. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This content is provided for informational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as legal, professional, or personal advice.