New Frisco restaurant Didi's Downtown has opened on Main Street

Scott Hoffner has been a private chef to celebrities like NBA player Tyson Chandler NFL player Jason Hatcher. He's been an executive chef at Dallas-area restaurants, too. But now he has a new job: "general manager and dishwasher" at Didi's Downtown in Frisco, he says.

He's also the restaurant's executive chef and owner. That's just how small businesses work.

Hoffner is a Frisco resident — a point of pride, given the restaurant's prominent address on Main Street in Frisco, where a restaurant and bar called Stan's Main Street operated for more than four years.

Hoffner's kids go to school nearby, and he says the restaurant is an easy walk or bike ride away from his house. His mission for Didi's Downtown, he says, is to make it family-friendly and "Frisco-centric — with funk and a lot of fun."

He expects to offer live music on the back porch and a varied menu that includes bar food like smothered fries and hamburgers, "serious salads," his version of Nashville hot chicken, and seafood like blackened catfish or cioppino.

"I'm not trying to get foo-foo here. And I can get crazy with food," Hoffner says. "Foie gras or fried chicken, it doesn't matter to me." Hoffner also expects to offer some gluten-free and vegetable options as well as Jewish dishes that are inspired by family recipes.

"That's the greatest thing about being a chef and owning your own place: You can have some fun with it," he says.

The more than 100-year-old historic home where Didi's Downtown will be located has been painted and gutted. The interior is decked out with train paraphernalia.

When Didi's opens (update: opening day was Dec. 17), Hoffner is planning special events such as barbecue & bingo.

The restaurant is named after Hoffner's mom Diane "Didi" Hoffner. He pauses when asked about her. Then he hesitates again. "She died a couple of years ago," he offers. His mom was a great cook, he says, and he misses her every day.

"She'd be very thrilled," he said of the restaurant he is opening. "She'd be very, very proud."

Didi's Downtown is located at 7210 W. Main St., Frisco.