Texas Man’s Advice for People Who are Considering Rightsizing

(Benbrook, TX) – When retired restaurant owner Chris Piekarski, 72, of Benbrook, Texas, was ready to downsize, deciding where to move next was what he calls a no-brainer.

He knew he wanted to move to a place that was quiet and didn’t have any kids running around. He also needed a place where he could bring his three dogs, and where he could make some new friends.

“I was looking for a community that is a lot bigger than the four walls you live in,” he said.

After making the decision to move, he called a friend he had made while an active member of the Benbrook Chamber of Commerce and asked for her advice. Lynette Spence, who is now retired herself but worked for the Benbrook Chamber of Commerce for 30 years, suggested he check out Album Benbrook.

He visited the 55+ active adult community at the corner of Veterans Parkway and Cook Ranch Road in Benbrook, Texas, a few days later—in October 2024. “I signed a lease within hours of touring the community,” he said.

“I had no idea I would be doing it so quick, but it helped me greatly because I could at least get out of my house and be able to show it a lot easier,” said Piekarski, who is well known in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He spent close to 50 years working in the restaurant industry.

His first job was at a Steak and Ale restaurant in Dallas when he was just 22 years old. He eventually worked his way into management and helped open restaurants for the chain in Toledo, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Detroit, Michigan.

Next, he moved over to Bennigan’s and helped open a number of restaurants across the country for that restaurant chain. “I eventually left the company to go out on my own. I went to Canton, Ohio, to develop a sports bar, which was later copied by Buffalo Wild Wings,” he said.

When the opportunity presented itself to move back to Texas, he jumped at it. “I moved back down here 15 years ago and opened a Buffalo West restaurant with a partner in an old Steak and Ale,” he said.

Today, Piekarski is mostly retired from the restaurant, but he is still active in the hospitality business. “I have a ride-share business with a lot of clients I take to and from the airport on a regular basis,” he said.

“I love interacting with people. Hospitality has been my go-to background for all my life.”

When he’s not working, Piekarski spends a lot of time visiting with his neighbors at Album Benbrook, where he has a two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor, right next to the community’s dog park.

“The people here are terrific, and the apartment has worked out perfectly for me. The location I have allows me to walk right in and walk right out and I’m on my way. Plus, from the dogs’ standpoint, there are plenty of opportunities to socialize. There are always people walking by and giving them treats.”

Piekarski’s dogs are 8-year-old Woodie, a brown English Setter with white and black spots, Jessie, an 8-year-old tri-colored Collie that is calm and likes to lie around a lot and 7-year-old Lucy, who he describes as a little white mutt that really enjoys life.

“She was abandoned as a puppy. When I got her, she had a crushed vertebrae and couldn’t walk. She had a vertebrae operation and pulled through it like a champ. She is also deaf, but nothing holds her back. She loves car rides, and her siblings, who watch her like a hawk,” said Piekarski, who considers his dogs to be a big part of his life.

He added that at first it was tough for the dogs to live in an apartment after being raised in a place where they had a lot of space to run around, but it didn’t take long for them to acclimate.

“Album Benbrook is a great community. It is centrally located and easy to get to, and it has filled both my needs and my dogs’ needs for socialization. We were really isolated where we used to live.

“Plus, I have good peace of mind now. I don’t have to mow another blade of grass or worry about the cost of upkeep with the escalating prices of everything. Plus, it’s a fairly reasonable place to live in terms of pricing,” said Piekarski.

About Album Benbrook

Album Benbrook, which is located at 8601 Cook Ranch Rd, Benbrook, TX 76126, is a 55+ apartment community that offers residents a renewed sense of purpose with the luxury of time to explore a lifestyle that fulfills them and brings meaning to their day. The community features maintenance-free living in one-and-two-bedroom apartment homes, and plenty of on-site activities to keep residents busy, including a heated swimming pool, fitness center, yoga studio, art studio, dog park and more.

For more information about the community, go to AlbumBenbrook.com