Coronavirus News

Dallas institution Highland Park Cafeteria closes due to coronavirus

Part of the fun of HPC was walking down the line.

Photo courtesy of HPC

The coronavirus has felled a Dallas institution: Highland Park Cafeteria, located at the Casa Linda Plaza in East Dallas, will not be re-opening.

Owner Jeff Snoyer confirmed that, after nearly a century of serving chicken fried steak, chicken and dumplings, and fried chicken, the restaurant is closing for good.

"With this virus, we feel like it's taking so long to recover that it's going to be too hard to hang in there," he says. "And then, even if we were to reopen, with all of the restrictions required, it will be difficult for us to survive."

Those restrictions include being open at only 25 percent, as well as restrictions on the cafeteria-style model that the restaurant observes.

Snoyer originally hoped the closure would be temporary.

"We wanted to keep going and we even bought all new equipment," Snoyer says. "We were trying to think positive, but the only way we do well with our prices so low is to have a high volume of customers. We would usually serve 25,000 meals a month."

HPC dates back to 1925, and swelled to eight locations including its longtime Knox Street flagship before closing in 2006. Snoyer rescued the Casa Linda Plaza location and reopened it in 2007. It was one of the few non-chain cafeteria-style restaurants and had a loyal following dating back decades, with old-timey dishes such as liver and onions, Waldorf salad, pies, and Jell-O.

In 2019, it also earned a spot on a treasured Food & Winelist of best cafeterias.

Snoyer says it's "heartbreaking" for his staff of 65 employees.

"Some have worked for HPC for more than 30 years," he says. "I have so much appreciation for someone who comes in at 7:30 every morning, happy to peel potatoes and do their job."

They'll be hosting an auction of all their fixtures, the proceeds of which will go to employees.

"If anyone wants a keepsake,we'll be doing an online auction, beginning Friday May 15," he says. "All contents of the cafeteria, including memorabilia, non-perishable food supplies, furniture and equipment will be sold through ATXauctions.com."

All perishable and frozen food is being donated to local organizations.

Snoyer says that they'll be keeping the recipes on the chance that they're able to reopen at some point down the road. "Zucchini muffins may one day make a comeback," he says.

closings

Closure News

Sylvan Avenue Tavern in West Dallas closes but a new bar's on the way

They're known for their pizza and chill vibe.

Courtesy of BST

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A West Dallas tavern is closing, but that's not the end of the story: Sylvan Avenue Tavern, located at Sylvan Thirty at at 1888 Sylvan Ave. #F250, closed for good on November 3, after three years at the address.

The restaurant-bar opened in the complex in 2021 as a spinoff of Bryan Street Tavern, a longtime bar in East Dallas, serving pizza, beer on tap, and a laid-back atmosphere with pool tables and outdoor space.

The bar closed in August 2024, which owner Joe Hinkson attributed to issues with the landlord, but reopened at the end of the month — only to close these two months later.

"We reopened for football season, but we didn't get the boost like we hoped," Hinkson says. "It was becoming the definition of insanity."

"It's official this time," he said. "The shopping center is dying. Cooper's Meat Market is gone, Craft & Co. is gone, Shayna's is gone, and there's been nothing new since we moved in."

In a Facebook post, he stated that "the complex is dying and we've lost four other businesses prior to us making our decision to close. And now we’ve become the fifth one to leave. We've enjoyed our time there, but without support from the property owners, we had to call it a day."

Some of the nearby neighbors said that bar "trashed" the suite, leaving broken glass as well as one of the gas burners open, requiring the fire department to come out because of complaints about the smell of gas.

But Hinkson said that wasn't true. "We removed equipment," he said. "Not sure what the spray paint was. It was just residual trash. No vandalism. We left most of the furniture and the beautiful bar-top."

Hinkson's attention is on a new sibling, called Fate Village Tavern, opening in the city of Fate at 4970 East I-30,#130 — a center so new, it barely shows up on Google maps.

Fate Village is set to open in November, with a similar menu, spirit and beer selection, TVs galore, and a patio with a pet-friendly area.

"This has been in the works for about a year — we started construction back in June," he says. "We're excited about it. It's going to be a truly polished version of BST, and we will be the only bar in Fate city limits."

They're finishing up construction with includes touches like a pressed tin ceiling and shiplap on the walls, to give the new build some lived-in character.

"Adam Navan, my partner in Sylvan Avenue, moved to Fate a few years ago, and that gave us an awareness of the town's growth," Hinkson says. "We watched them build out the retail center, called Fate Village, and it was an instant success. We approached the developer and one year later, they reached out to us and we signed up."

It's bigger than Bryan Street and they've given it a huge patio.

"We are soooo close — we're just waiting on one last bit of furniture and final inspections," he says.

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