RIP Restaurant News

Dallas fried chicken scene gets hit by Trinity Groves restaurant closure

One less fried chicken in the world.

Photo courtesy of Fat Chicken

Tough news for Dallas' fried chicken trend: Fat Chicken, one of the restaurants at West Dallas incubator Trinity Groves, served its last meal on New Year's Eve.

Fat Chicken was the restaurant from chef DJ Quintanilla and partner Linda Mazzei, with a menu of Southern fried chicken with biscuits, plus roasted chicken, grilled chicken, pot pies, and "chickarrones. As part of its Southern heritage, it also had a pie cart with a daily selection of scratch-made pies.

Quintanilla and Mazzei were among the first restaurateurs to launch at Trinity Groves when they opened Resto Gastro Bistro in 2013, a French- and Asian-influenced spin on American dishes such as crab cakes and a corn dog made with lobster.

But after three years, Trinity Groves founder Phil Romano decreed that Resto had run its course and that fried chicken was what customers wanted instead. Fat Chicken debuted in February 2017.

Fried chicken was definitely a thing in 2017. CultureMap included it in its top 10 dining trends for 2017 story, and did a list of the 10 best places to find it for our 2017 Tastemaker awards.

But in recent months, the fried chicken world has endured some key closures, including Sissy's Southern Kitchen in September and the August closure of Max's Wine Dive in the West Village. Fried chicken is so 2017.

Mazzei says that she and Quintanilla are grateful for the support and mentoring they received. "We put our heart and soul into taking care of customers and creating delicious food," she says.

A replacement concept has not been named, but Romano says that, as an incubator, Trinity Groves is "constantly evolving and gaining valuable insight" from customers.

"As Trinity Groves expands to include new residential, commercial and retail development, we are more excited than ever to welcome new concepts from aspiring restaurateurs," he says.

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Pie News

White Rhino Coffee acquires Dallas bakery chain Emporium Pies

Photo courtesy of Emporium Pies

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A Dallas pie company has a new boss: Emporium Pies, a small chain of pie shops founded in 2012, has been acquired by White Rhino Coffee, the Dallas-born coffee company known for its community-driven cafés and craft-focused approach.

Emporium Pie owners and sisters Landon Perdue, Jen Abohosh, and Addie Roberts say in a release that the transition reflects a natural alignment in values.

"Part of our shared mission is hospitality and giving people a reason to celebrate," Roberts says. "We love the team, who I’ll continue working alongside, and I’m excited for this next chapter together. There’s something about dessert that brings people joy in a way nothing else can, and we’re thrilled to see that legacy carried forward."

Emporium began as a small operation selling pies from a 1930s bungalow in Bishop Arts. A second location opened in McKinney in 2013, followed by Deep Ellum which opened in 2016, and Fort Worth which opened in 2021, for a total of four shops. This is the second time the chain has changed hands; the original founders sold the company in 2022.

White Rhino was founded in 2007 and currently has 12 locations, the most recent being a location at Cypress Waters, inside a conference room, which opened in 2025.

“Emporium Pies has built an extraordinary legacy,” said Sara Escamilla, CEO of White Rhino Coffee. “Their products are consistently excellent, impeccably crafted, and beloved. Every pie is made with the highest quality ingredients. To be able to support and grow a concept of this caliber is an honor.”

The bakers and Addie Roberts will remain on staff, ensuring that the recipes remain unchanged. While the businesses will operate as usual for now, White Rhino Coffee plans to explore expanding Emporium Pies’ footprint across the Dallas–Fort Worth area.

They'll also introduce collaborations and menu integrations such as signature pie-and-coffee pairings.

“For now, it simply means coffee and pie - two of life’s best comforts - can be enjoyed across both brands,” Escamilla says.

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