Knox Street News

Dallas restaurant group lands prized Highland Park Soda Fountain space

They're not revealing yet what it will be called or what will be served. Rats!

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The fate of the old Highland Park Pharmacy on Dallas' Knox Street is in capable hands: A new restaurant, identity still TBD, is coming from the group behind Design District hot spots The Charles, Bar Charles, and sultry Greenville Avenue restaurant Sister.

According to a release, the former Highland Park Soda Fountain on the corner of Knox and Travis Streets — which has been preserved and sits on the end of the new Weir's Plaza — will be taken over by Duro Hospitality, who will debut a new restaurant in fall 2022.

Duro is a hospitality firm specializing in operations, concepting, development, and design focused on restaurants, bars, hotels and multi-family projects.

Vexingly, they offer no news yet as to what the restaurant will be called or what will be served. Only that they nabbed the location.

Highland Park Soda Fountain was a staple on the corner of Knox and Travis streets since 1912, first as a pharmacy and then as a soda fountain. It closed in September 2018.

Duro was founded in 2020 by managing partners Chas Martin, Benji Homsey, Corbin See, and Ross See.

Well known around Dallas as a consummate host, Chas Martin has been acting as general manager and managing partner of The Charles, the restaurant he opened in May 2018. He'll be stepping away from the day-to-day to focus on new hospitality projects.
Benji Homsey spent nearly 20 years with Hotel Zaza, most recently serving as President of Brand and Development for Z Resorts where his focus was to procure new developments.
Corbin See is one half of Sees Design, a second-generation interior design firm with offices in Dallas and Oklahoma City. He's been featured on numerous "best designer" lists such as DHome.
Ross See, the other half of Sees Design, has been featured nationally in magazines such as Architectural Digest.

"We're so fortunate to be able to do what we love while bringing a unique vision to the market, and couldn’t be more excited to expand in Dallas," says Martin in a statement.

In addition to The Charles and Sister, that expansion includes:

Casa Duro – Duro Hospitality’s first leap into the hotel industry, it consists of three apartments above Sister Restaurant, which will be available for short and long-term stays. There's one 1-bedroom and two 2-bedrooms, all renovated and completely furnished, including kitchens. Opening in early 2022.
Café Duro – Adjacent to Sister, Café Duro will serve as a café and market offering coffee, wine, house made pasta, pre-cut meats, charcuterie, cheese, pastries, panini, and home goods. Opening in early 2022.
Cole & Riverfront – Property in the Design District at the corner of Cole and Riverfront is in the early stages of development. Opening mid-2022.

... as well as the Highland Park Pharmacy space.

The new unidentified restaurant joins an increasingly busy dining scene on Knox Street, with recent openings that include Village Baking Co., RH Dallas Rooftop Restaurant, Georgie By Curtis Stone, as well as openings coming-soon that include Pizzana, a pizzeria from Sprinkles queen Candace Nelson, and Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea, a chain from Chicago, joining buzzy spots Le Bilboquet and Up On Knox. Who we missing?

openings

Closing News

Longtime Dallas restaurant Sevy's Grill to close after nearly 30 years

Photo courtesy of Sevy's Grill

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A longtime Dallas restaurant is closing in 2026: Sevy's Grill, which has been open at 8201 Preston Rd. near Preston Center for nearly 30 years, will close on June 27, 2026.

According to a release from the owners, they're closing due to what appears to be an increase in rent.

"After months of negotiations, we were not able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement for our fourth 10-year lease," the post said.

The restaurant is located in Preston Sherry Plaza, which was acquired in September 2025 by Austin-based Endeavor Real Estate. Somebody gotta foot the bill.

Sevy's says they are looking at other locations.

"Our focus now is to finish these next 6+ months taking care of our guests and staff at the same caring level we built our brand on: Warm, professional service, consistently good food and a comfortable ambiance where the guest is always first," the post says. "First on our list of priorities is taking care of our guests in December and all the wonderful celebrations of family, friends and business groups. We do still have some availability for reservations, including our last New Years Eve at Preston Sherry. Come celebrate with us as the exciting anticipation of a new year for all of us."

"Our second priority will be the search for a new location to continue doing what we love," they said. "We are already reviewing possible sites and will keep everyone updated regularly."

Owned by chef Jim "Sevy" Severson and his wife Amy Severson, the restaurant has long been a neighborhood favorite with a lively bar scene, and was nominated in CultureMap's 2018 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant. They were a frequent choice for winemaker events and are also known for the longevity of their staff.

"Eight team members have been with us all 29+ years, with an average tenure in the kitchen of 15+ years and a Management team that you all know," their post said. "Come support our staff as we celebrate the next 6+ months.Thank you again for your support through all the normal challenges of running a restaurant as well as economic downturns, market bubbles, Y2K, and of course the COVID era. As I tell my family and friends to “enjoy the ride in life”, wow, what an amazing ride it has been for us! And as always, Sevy’s Grill is here for you."