T-Room Out
Prime Dallas ladies-who-lunch tea room to close after 18 years
In what feels like somewhat inevitable news, Forty Five Ten, the Dallas-based luxury boutique, is closing the T Room at Forty Five Ten on McKinney Avenue.
According to a release, the closure comes as "part of a strategic decision" by the Headington Companies who own it, to refocus on the flagship Forty Five Ten location in downtown Dallas.
The restaurant, which served for 18 years as one of the top lunch destinations for the tasteful-ladies set, will close on June 30.
To mark the news, there is even a quote from co-founder Brian Bolke, who sold Forty Five Ten to the Headington Companies but remains on as a consultant. So very gracious and mindful of the Headington Companies.
"The closing of the T Room is bittersweet, of course," Bolke says. "It's a bit like watching a child graduate – you have nostalgia for all those wonderful younger days, but are so proud and hopeful for the bright future. I’ll miss my favorite tuna melt, but the farro bowl at Mirador has become my new favorite."
Founded in 2000 by Bolke and Shelly Musselman, Forty Five Ten has always cultivated a strong roster of experimental and unconventional designers. After Headington Companies acquired the brand in 2014, they expanded their footprint with the opening of a flagship store in downtown Dallas in 2016. In our writeup, we called it "the most beautiful store in Dallas."
In 2018, Headington Companies appointed Kristen Cole as president and Chief Creative Officer, with plans for additional brick-and-mortar locations, an ecommerce platform, and an expansion of the retail family including the Tenoversix boutique.
The downtown location will undergo several renovations this summer, the most significant of which will be on the main floor with the inclusion of Tenoversix, which was previously located on the first floor of The Joule.
"We expect to see more walk-in traffic from Main Street since the assortment of books, design objects, emerging fashion and gifts will feel more approachable," Cole says.
Tenoversix's move opens space for another concept within the hotel, which is still in the works. Additionally, a new take on the coffee bar concept will be completed by this fall in the area known as Copper Bar.
This is all good news. It's also true that the T Room's fortunes had dimmed ever so slightly once Forty Five Ten on Main moved downtown in 2016.
But we are talking 18 years of baby showers, genteel birthday parties, rosé-fueled meetups, and CultureMap company lunches. A menu with more than a dozen salads such as the green goddess; quiche; and toasty panini sandwiches, available in the "T Room combination," with two items for $16 or three for $20. All in a refined space with an adjoining courtyard and fountain in artfully distressed brick.
True to form, the T Room will go out in style. On June 30, its last day of lunch service, the T Room will offer champagne for all guests, to commemorate the day. Reservations are recommended.
