Downtown News

Big restaurant changes at Statler Dallas Hotel include a new Primo's

Inside these walls, big changes are going down.

Photo courtesy of the Statler

Dramatic changes are happening on the dining front at the Statler Hotel in downtown Dallas, including a brand new restaurant and a second location of an iconic Mexican restaurant from Uptown.

The newbie is an Italian-American restaurant called Sfereco and it will open in the former Ramen & Bao space adjacent to the Statler. This is a brand new entity from Refined Hospitality Concepts (RHC), a subsidiary of Centurion American, the company belonging to developer Mehrdad Moayedi, who also owns the Statler. RHC operates Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge, Dallas Proper, Bourbon & Banter, Scout, Over Easy, Fine China, Waterproof, and Nosh Bistro.

Also opening at the Statler: Primo’s MX Kitchen & Lounge. It will go into the spot at the Statler currently occupied by Fine China, which will shutter on March 9, IE today, though it will live on via catering events, Fooda events, and occasional pop-ups.

A release says that reconcepting Fine China had already been in the works, and Primo’s was deemed the perfect fit "for the festive atmosphere at the Statler." The two new restaurants will open summer 2020.

Primo's MX Kitchen & Lounge recently re-opened its Uptown location — successfully, says Refined Hospitality Concepts COO Robert Hall.

"Primo's opening has been such a success in Uptown so we're excited to bring that energy and excitement to downtown Dallas,” Hall says. "Extending the Primo's brand to this space at the Statler allows us to meet the growing need for private dining space with the food and cocktails for which Primo's is known and loved."

Hall says he drew inspiration from New York City, "where it becomes clear that American Italian is its own cuisine," he says.

For corporate chef Ryan Carbery, it's an homage to his childhood days working in his family's restaurants. "I can remember so vividly the sights and smells of my dad's pizza and pasta restaurant, and how it really brought people together," he says.

Sfereco will follow a quick-service model, where you order food at a counter and eat at communal tables. A full-service bar will include beer, wine, and craft cocktails, including some Italian-inspired drinks.

Sfereco's signature dish will be the meatball, in beef, pork, chicken, and even vegetarian options. They can be ordered solo, or in bowls, or on pizza, or in pasta.

Chef's favorites include

Sfereco Meatball with house-made pork-beef-veal grind, spaghetti, pomodoro, parmiggiano-reggiano, and basil
Pesto Pasta with basil pesto, parmiggiano-reggiano, and pine nuts
Short Rib with polenta, tomato sauce, and parmiggiano-reggiano
Jimmy’s Italian Flatbread with Jimmy's Italian sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and basil

They'll also do an American Italian theme on that most important meal of the week, brunch.

Sfereco and Primo'x MX will join the hotel's other three dining spots: Overeasy, the casual all-day restaurant; Scout, the fun-and-games bar on the hotel's ground floor; and Waterproof, the glamorous bar on the 19th floor of the hotel.

downtown

Farm News

Dallas farm-to-table champion Profound Farms closes produce operation

Profound

Profound Microfarms

A Dallas farm-to-table champion is pulling the plug: Profound Microfarms, the small farm in Lucas that provided locally-grown produce to chefs and the general public for nearly a decade, is shutting down its growing operation and discontinuing deliveries. Their final delivery and pickup day will be May 23.

According to cofounder Jeff Bednar, they were simply unable to keep the business afloat.

"It's always been tough for small farmers, and it's only getting harder," Bednar says. "I'd hate to count how many farmers and ranchers we've known in the last 10 years that have gone out of business. Honestly, I know very few farmers that could make it with out having off-farm income from a spouse or other sources."

Jeff and Lee Bednar first bought their 2.6-acre plot in Lucas in 2014, then spent three years learning hydroponic methods and building industry relationships. In May 2017, they began selling produce to Dallas-area chefs, helping to support DFW’s burgeoning farm-to-table restaurant scene, delivering to restaurants multiple times per week.

In 2018, Profound Foods received a USDA grant to create a local "food hub" — a business that helps small farmers grow by offering a combination of production, distribution, and marketing services. At their peak, by the end of 2019, they were serving 130 restaurants.

And then the pandemic arrived. They pivoted, expanding into retail sales in March 2020, offering weekly home delivery and pickup outpost options for home consumers.

Profound Microfarms lettuce Beautiful lettuces at Profound MicrofarmsProfound Microfarms

"Unfortunately, running a year-round food hub became tougher than we can sustain right now," he says. "It's disheartening we were not able to make it work after trying for 11 years. But we were able to raise our daughters the way we wanted to and we really had a great run. Profound impacted hundreds of Dallas chefs and thousands of families in our community and we'll continue to do that, just differently."

Over the years, Profound grew from harvesting greens to aggregating and delivering for other producers, then into community gathering spaces, commercial kitchens, and hands-on education.

"Profound has never been just a farm — it’s our commitment to connecting North Texans with local food, and that commitment will keep evolving even as the farm operations wind down," Bednar says.

So while the growing part has gone away, Profound will continue hosting cooking classes and other foodie events. In the interim, they'll also be listing their plants, hydroponic supplies, and greenhouses for sale.

Some of their stats:

Moved more than $4.5 million of truly local food into North Texas kitchens.
Sent 75 cents on every dollar to 185 farmers, ranchers, and producers in North Texas.
Delivered 34,000+ restaurant and home orders.
Donated over 90,000 lbs of fresh food to area charities and food banks.
Hosted dozens of interns and hundreds of volunteers for hands-on learning on our farm.
Helped over 22 companies launch food-based business in our incubator kitchen and hub.
Hosted tours for more than 15,000 people, schoolchildren, and aspiring farmers.

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