The very first thing Texas de Brazil President and co-founder Salim Asrawi wants readers to know is that he is not a developer and does not have a development stake in the ongoing debate about moving City Hall and redeveloping downtown into an entertainment district.
The interview is part of The Dallas Express’ Business and Civic Leader City Hall Redevelopment Series, which will ask local business owners, executives, developers, and civic leaders how they view the future of downtown Dallas, City Hall, public safety, sports, and redevelopment.
“I’m a restaurant guy and a proud Dallas resident,” Asrawi told DX. “It just makes sense.”
Asrawi co-founded Texas de Brazil, a family-owned churrascaria brand that blends Southern Brazilian-style cooking with Texas hospitality. Born in Lebanon, Asrawi immigrated to the United States at age 14 after fleeing war in his home country. He later earned a master’s degree in restaurant and hotel management, worked his way up in the hotel industry, and co-founded Texas de Brazil with his family.
The company lists Texas restaurants in Addison, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, McAllen, San Antonio, and Tyler, with Allen and El Paso listed as 2026 locations. Asrawi also appeared on the cover of President George W. Bush’s book Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.
Lamenting Dallas’ lost opportunity to attract the Cowboys back to town during former Mayor Laura Miller’s tenure, Asrawi said, “If the Mavs and Stars are not downtown, there goes downtown.” Asrawi said bringing the Cowboys back to Fair Park when Dallas had an opportunity “would have fundamentally changed Fair Park and South Dallas,” and he does not want to see Dallas lose more sports teams to the suburbs.
“Arenas have always been part of downtowns,” Asrawi said, citing examples from Chicago and New York City, where walking around and visiting different bars, restaurants, hotels, and stores is part of the experience and vibrancy.
He encouraged opponents of downtown redevelopment to be “open-minded and think about the future.”
“What do you want Dallas to look like in 20 years, and what will it look like if we don’t?” Asrawi asked.
When asked whether Dallas’ I.M. Pei-designed City Hall should be sacrificed to keep the Mavericks or Stars in the urban core, Asrawi answered bluntly.
“I don’t [know] what’s historic about it,” Asrawi said. “It’s not Notre Dame or the Louvre.”
He continued, “I think it’s a great thing for the city to rent a place for City Hall. It’s all about business and we as a city have to do everything we can to keep them. We have the Mavericks and Stars. The hardest thing as a restaurant owner is getting them in the door and we have them already. How do we let them go?”
Asrawi acknowledged that it may be a tough sell to convince many residents that the city should use taxpayer dollars to support stadium-related redevelopment involving wealthy team owners.
He said the city and business community need to communicate clearly to residents “what’s in it for them” and how they would benefit from a revitalized downtown, including more jobs and less crime.
“When you develop things you have to create jobs. Jobs create opportunities. When people are working, they’re committing less crime.”
Asrawi said he is speaking up in support of the City Hall move and larger revitalization plan “out of love for my city.”
“It has nothing to do with politics,” Asrawi said. “It’s not about being a Republican or Democrat. It’s about wanting our city to be better.”
The Dallas Express is also asking readers to weigh in through a related poll on the future of downtown Dallas and City Hall. Readers can take the poll here.
