Juergen Mahneke

Juergen Mahneke, 67, of Plano, Texas passed away peacefully on June 10th, 2026, surrounded by his family and friends. He was born in Braunschweig, Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1984. He worked for numerous Westin hotels across America including in Atlanta, Boston, Indianapolis, and San Antonio before settling in Plano with his late wife, Elke, in 1989.

In November of 1993 they opened the Bavarian Grill together, where they continued their passion of hospitality and brought Gemutlichkeit to all who dined there. In 1997, their son Christian was born. After the passing of Elke in April of 2011, he met the second great love of his life, Heather, with whom he enjoyed life for over 12 years with adventures to Germany, Scotland, Ireland, France, and many others across the United States. He also worked tirelessly with Heather to bring their two families together, gaining two additional sons in Tyler and Nicholas. His passion for his career and pride in his family are evident in the numerous accolades the restaurant has received and in the success of his sons.

The Bavarian Grill, his life's work, was both voted by the community and selected by rating organizations as The Best German Restaurant in Texas and Best German Restaurant in America between 2006 and 2025. The Bavarian Grill is a Certified Green Business by the City of Plano, and planted 25 trees in Plano's Chisholm Trail Park for its 25th Anniversary in November 2018. It is also home to the Official FC Bayern Fan Club Mia san North Texas and acts as an Official Ambassador of Weihenstephan the world's oldest brewery since 1040. Besides these accolades, his successes are evident in the community he built using his philosophy of having “Guests and Friends” as patrons, rather than customers. The restaurant will continue to welcome that same community for “Authentic Bavarian Food, Bier, Wein, Schnapps and Fun in Plano, Texas as it has since 1993.”

His son Christian concludes a successful Junior Officer tour in the United States Navy submarine force in July and was selected as Junior Officer and Company Grade Officer of the Year at his last two commands. He has also completed his M.S. in Engineering at Purdue University and is pursuing an MBA from the IU Kelley School of Business. His son Tyler was valedictorian of his class at Boston University School of Law, and has been practicing for 6 years. His son Nicholas graduated with his B.S. in Mathematics from Iowa State University, has nearly completed his actuarial certifications, is working for Principal Financial Group, and will become a father himself in October. Juergen was also proud to welcome three beautiful and highly educated women as daughters-in-law: Alexandria, a psychologist; Kaitlyn, a nurse; and Ashling, a high school English teacher.

His life and memories will be cherished by those whose lives he touched including his loving wife Heather, Christian and Ashling, Tyler and Alexandria, Nicholas and Kaitlyn, his brother Peter and his wife Sabine, nephew and niece Niels and Mirka, and the Bavarian Grill Family of both long-time guests and Team Members. He will be missed by many!

A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Monday, June 22, 2026, at Allen Family Funeral Options in Plano, Texas. The service will be followed by a Celebration of Life at the Bavarian Grill beginning at 4:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, if desired, please make a donation in Juergen’s name to the Bavarian Grill Stein Club, National Arbor Day Foundation, or the National Parks Service.