George Stergios and Brian Dunne Bring in Chef Mark Gordy to Lead the Kitchen at Centro on the Square

, the bistro at 112 E. Louisiana Street in Historic Downtown McKinney, has named chef Mark Gordy executive chef. The kitchen runs daily fresh pasta, locally sourced steaks, and seafood. The building is more than a century old.

The restaurant belongs to George Stergios and Brian Dunne. Stergios operates Knife Steakhouse Plano. Dunne owns Mexican Bar Company. The two spent seven years as neighboring operators at The District at Willow Bend before opening Centro together. Stergios’s family ran Vincent’s Seafood in Dallas for more than a century. That history shows in a menu that takes seafood as seriously as steak.

Gordy’s résumé covers a particular tier of Dallas kitchens. He has worked at Spoon Bar & Kitchen, Knife Dallas, Hubbell & Hudson Cureight, Sassetta, Town Hearth, Montlake Cut, Mister Charles, and most recently Monarch. He trained under chefs with Michelin recognition and James Beard nominations. His cooking draws from Italian technique, steakhouse preparation, and seafood work.

The current menu is specific. There is a hamachi crudo with orange-ginger vinaigrette and charred scallion relish. Outpost 76 beef tataki comes with chili-orange ponzu and nori furikake. A lobster pasta is built on coldwater lobster and cioppino-style soffritto. Pasta is made in-house daily. Steaks come from local sources. The menu turns with the seasons.

The space was gutted and rebuilt while preserving the original structure. The dining room has an intimate bar, flexible seating, and a private room for larger gatherings. It sits directly across from the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

The cocktail program covers original drinks, wine, and spirits. Both owners live nearby — Stergios as a former McKinney resident, Dunne in Allen. Centro is built to read as a neighborhood restaurant, not a destination.

Reservations are available at centrotx.com or by calling (214) 548-4252.