Ex-'Bachelor' Brad Womack to open bar in Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If you caught the premiere of the "Bachelorette" Monday, you know that Emily Maynard is hoping to find love again after her very public break-up with former Bachelor, Brad Womack.

But what about Brad? Has the Austin native moved on? We talk to him about life after Emily and opening a new business right here in Houston.

It's Texas tradition, with a twist of hard southern edge.

"The Dogwood is actually named after our grandmother's favorite tree, state flower of Georgia. So that's where the name comes from," bar owner and brother to Brad, Chad Womack, said.

Dogwood, an Austin sweetheart, is on its way to the Bayou City. Nestled in Midtown, the brothers and business partners behind the bar concept are sure to woo quite a crowd.

"What Dogwood is is an indoor/outdoor concept, so we want you to feel like you're in someone's backyard BBQ," Chad said.

Brad Womack is the first Bachelor to dismiss not one, but two women at the final rose ceremony.

"Do you regret anything?" we asked him.

"No, absolutely not," he said.

"Any of your decisions?"

"No, no, not at all."

He's the only contestant to give the show a second shot, most recently, with ex-fiance Emily Maynard.

"I've just politely declined any comment until now," Brad said.

He opened up for the first time on TV about life after the public split with Emily and her debut as this season's Bachelorette.

"All I'll say, she is a hell of a woman. I hope it works out. You know, I'm happy, I hope she's happy. So maybe we can do an interview after the finale and you can tell me what happens," he said.

"You won't be watching it then?" we asked.

"No, I have no interest," he said.

The 38-year-old attributes much of his success he and his brother now have -- four bars on Austin's Sixth Street -- to The Bachelor.

"Obviously I don't know if you'd even be talking to us if I wasn't on the show, so I can admit that," he said.

But he admits every rose has its thorn.

"Some people love the show, some people hate the show so I just want people to know, hey I'm not just this cheesy reality show guy that handed out roses," Brad said.

Womack insists he was in it for love and still hopes to find it one day.

"Are you single?" we asked.

"I don't know if they're dying to know that!" he said.

"I will tell you they're dying to know."

"OK, yes I'm single," he said. "I don't have time to date and it's not for lack of trying. Um, this is a true story, and it's almost sad, you know I've only been on one date in a year? One date. Is that pathetic?"

"What kind of girl are you looking for?" we asked.

"A girl that will be a cocktail waitress in our bar," he said, followed by a very quick, "I'm kidding I'm kidding!"

As for the next chapter of his life without Emily...

"Can I say I'm glad. I think I dodged a bullet with the relationship? I just hope it works out with her," he said.

He's open to finding a new girl in Houston, as long as it's off-camera, and with someone who loves the real Brad, not the reality Brad.

"I swear to you I don't have one piece of Bachelor memorabilia. It just one of those things. It came and went," he said.

Brad's bar "The Dogwood" will be opening in Midtown on September 1. He tells us he plans to split his time living in Houston and Austin.

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