Closing News

High-profile restaurant in Dallas' troubled One Arts Plaza shuts down

The oysters are put on hold.

Photo courtesy of Proof + Pantry

There seems to be another one down in downtown Dallas: Proof + Pantry, the once-high-profile restaurant at One Arts Plaza, has closed, reportedly due to a shutout by the landlord.

A downtown worker spotted notices announcing the closure on the door, and a former staffer confirmed that the restaurant has been closed for about a week. A spokesperson for One Arts Plaza confirmed that it was permanently closed, and that the center was in talks with restaurant candidates to take over the space.

The restaurant was opened in 2014 by a team that included mixologist Michael Martensen, who is currently working in Mexico on a consultant job and for whom the shuttering seems to have been a surprise. On April 25, he posted an exultant update on Facebook, congratulating the entire staff for earning a spot on a list by Eater.

But that was April, and May is a new month. A new month requiring rent.

Martensen, who has also been involved in the opening of Deep Ellum bar Shoals Sound & Service, was not available for comment.

P+P opened with fanfare, describing itself as a multifaceted American restaurant and bar featuring progressive yet approachable American fare, along with a diverse and original bar program.

For a hot minute, it brought some buzz to One Arts Plaza, and went on to earn some attention when it rejected a review from a critic at the Dallas Morning News. It was one of the biggest restaurant stories of 2014.

It was highlighted by CultureMap as a key opening for summer 2014, and its cocktails made a CultureMap list of Where to Drink in 2016. It also saw a series of chefs come through, including Anthony Bombaci for a short-lived stint.

Proof + Pantry bravely took over a location with some turnover: It started out as Dali Wine Bar, which lasted two years; followed by chef John Tesar's excellent burger joint The Commissary, which lasted a year; followed by The Greek, from the owners of Ziziki's.

At the time it opened, Martensen was partnered with Sal Jafar and Jeremy Hargrove, but they both left the company in January 2017, leaving Martensen as the remaining operating partner/owner.

Survivors at One Arts Plaza remain Yolk, the breakfast place that opened in the former Screen Door location in 2014; Tei An, the acclaimed soba concept from chef Teiichi "Teach" Sakurai; and Jorge's Tex-Mex, from Michelle Mirales, who also recently opened LaLa's Mexican at Preston Center.

closings

Flair News

TGI Fridays files for bankruptcy, all 6 Dallas locations now closed

TGI Fridays

Restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy protection on November 2, saying it is looking for ways to “ensure the long-term viability” of the casual dining brand after closing many of its branches in 2024.

The Dallas-based company's Chapter 11 filing in a Texas federal court accelerates a gradual decline for an iconic chain that was once near the center of American pop culture but has seen its customer base dwindle as tastes changed.

TGI Fridays executive chairman Rohit Manocha said in a statement that the challenges were a result of COVID-19.

"The next steps announced today are difficult but necessary actions to protect the best interests of our stakeholders, including our domestic and international franchisees and our valued team members around the world," Manocha said. "The primary driver of our financial challenges resulted from COVID-19 and our capital structure. This restructuring will allow our go-forward restaurants to proceed with an optimized corporate infrastructure that enables them to reach their full potential."

Until recently, Dallas-Fort Worth had 11 locations including five at DFW Airport. Those airport locations are the only ones still open. The remaining six are all now closed — some closures very recent, most after being in business for a decade or more: 4951 Belt Line Rd. in Addison; 311 N. Clark St. in Cedar Hill, southwest of Dallas; 3700 Towne Crossing Blvd. in Mesquite; and 220 Cornflower Dr. at Firewheel Town Center in Garland.

A Plano location at 2444 Preston Rd. closed in 2022 and is now home to Rise Souffle, while the flagship in Dallas' West End at 1713 Market St. closed in 2020 after 32 years.

Privately owned by TriArtisan Capital Advisors, TGI Fridays has been a beloved dining destination since its inaugural bar opened in Manhattan in 1965. It expanded over the following decades to become a ubiquitous suburban gathering spot known for its ribs, potato skins topped with cheese and bacon, and a decor bedecked with red stripes and Tiffany-style lamps.

The company has boasted that its bartenders trained Tom Cruise for his role in the 1988 film Cocktail, while its serving staff's button-filled uniforms, meant to evoke a fun atmosphere, were later parodied in the 1999 satire Office Space, starring Jennifer Aniston.

Its empire peaked in 2008 with 601 restaurants in the U.S. and a $2 billion business, according to Kevin Schimpf, director of industry research at Technomic. Its sales in the U.S. were $728 million in 2023, down 15% from the prior year, according to Technomic.

It now counts 163 restaurants in the U.S., down from 269 last year and 213 from a week ago. It closed 36 in January and dozens more in the past week. TGI Fridays Inc. said it only owns and operates 39 restaurants in the U.S, a fraction of the 461 TGI Fridays-branded restaurants around the world.

A separate entity, TGI Fridays Franchisor, owns the intellectual property and has franchised the brand to 56 independent owners in 41 countries. Those are independently owned and not part of the Chapter 11 process, and remain open.

A United Kingdom-based franchisee, Hostmore, also sought debt protection in September and abruptly closed locations throughout that country after a failed takeover deal to acquire TGI Fridays.

During the pandemic TGI Fridays made an effort to expand into the delivery market by making itself a hub for ghost kitchens, which have no storefront and only prepare food for delivery. Among the major creditors owed money by TGI Fridays is the delivery service DoorDash, according to Saturday's bankruptcy court filings.

Sit-down chain restaurants more broadly have faced challenges in recent years as diners choose to get food delivered or visit upscale fast-food chains like Chipotle and Shake Shack. In September a U.S. bankruptcy judge approved a reorganization plan for the seafood chain Red Lobster after years of mounting losses. Italian American food chain Buca di Beppo filed for bankruptcy protection in August. PAnother iconic U.S. sit-down restaurant, Denny's, announced in October that it is closing 150 of its lowest-performing restaurants in an effort to turn around the brand’s flagging sales. Wendy’s is also closing up to 140 restaurants, according to a statement from The Wendy's Co. on October 31.