Coronavirus News

Surprise shutter leads these Dallas restaurant COVID openings and closings

Uchi Houston sake social hour pork rilette

Uchi is one of the Dallas restaurants that is reopening.

Photo by Logan Crable

The cycle of Dallas restaurant news is always brisk, but the pace has been accelerated by the coronavirus, which has prompted many reopenings and more than a few closures — including one permanent shutter that comes as a sad surprise.

Here's the latest round:

Start Restaurant, the healthy take on fast food restaurants that owner Erin McKool launched eight years ago, is no more. COVID-19 dealt the final blow.

"Opening Start was a dream of mine that all of you have helped me fulfill," McKool says in a statement. "Unfortunately, the sad news I have to share with you is that Start is unable to reopen. As you know, this has been a very difficult time for the restaurant industry and unfortunately, the impact on our business has been just too much to overcome. This has been a difficult decision for my family and me. What made this so painful is disappointing our loyal customers who love Start, and letting down my dedicated staff who have worked so hard to prepare and serve our healthy offerings."

Meanwhile, she will share recipes and has begun to work on a cookbook.

Tei An, the acclaimed Japanese restaurant at Dallas' One Arts Plaza, will reopen on June 2 with an extensive list of safety procedures that include:

Temperature detection cameras that can detect body temperature as you enter and exit the restaurant. Spooky. Anyone with a temperature at 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or above will not be allowed to enter.
No waiting area. Your table will be ready at the time of your reservation.
The bar is closed.
QR codes for contactless a la carte and beverage menus, and the use of copper pens for payment. Copper pens, cool.

Other measures include: disinfecting seating, paper napkins, masks and gloves on employees, new hands-free sink for employees, and face shields for kitchen staff.

Cremona Bistro, the Uptown Dallas Italian restaurant, has reopened its dining room and patio for lunch and dinner. They're also still offering takeout and delivery by third party.

Fish and Fizz, the seafood spot in Richardson from chef Nick Barclay, is reopening May 28. Reservations are required in order to observe capacity. Call 687-0022 or email info@fishandfizz.com. Curbside takeout and delivery are still available.

Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian churrascaria, is reopening its locations in Dallas, Addison, and Plano. To celebrate, they're offering special features such as half priced bottles of South American wines and happy hour cocktails all day, alongside coursed servings of their trademark Brazilian fire-roasted meats, seasonal offerings, desserts, and more. They're open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Make reservations in advance at fogo.com to ensure seating is available.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria locations in Dallas are now open for dine-in, takeout, and delivery with a new seasonal menu launching June 2 that includes Barbeque Chicken Pizza with barbecue sauce, chicken, bacon, red onion, and cilantro; strawberry spinach salad, blueberry cheesecake, and strawberry cheesecake.

Knife Dallas at the Highland Dallas hotel has re-opened to 50 percent capacity. That includes not only the lounge and patio but also the dining room. Hours are 5-10 pm daily, and reservations are required. Call 214-443-9339.

Lawry's The Prime Rib Dallas is reopening with precautions that adhere to CDC guidelines. Reservations are required; call 972-499-5224. You wait in your car, and the hostess texts or calls when your table is ready. Staff wers masks, and tables will be set only after a party is seated. Salads and prime rib carving will remain six feet from the table. There will be single-use menus, pens, and seasoned salt.

Stirr, the American neighborhood restaurant and bar reopened its locations in Dallas' Deep Ellum, Addison, and Fort Worth for dine-in service on May 22. "We are ready for brunches, happy hours and dinners with the crew!" they say.

Uchi, the Japanese restaurant on Maple Avenue, reopened its dining room on May 26 with limited, reservations-only in-restaurant dining that includes new protocols. Hours are 4-9 pm Sunday-Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday-Saturday, 4-10 pm, and and sushi + sake happy hour from 4-6:30 pm. Curbside pickup and delivery service will continue daily with new extended hours, 4-9:30 pm. Guests can place curbside reservations up to two weeks in advance via the website or by phone at 214-855-5454. You select party size and desired day and time of curbside pick-up. Restaurants call 30-45 minutes prior to take order and payment. Day-of reservations for patio seating will be available later in June.

Chipotle Mexican Grill just opened a new Farmers Branch restaurant — not reopened, but brand-new-opened — featuring a "Chipotlane" drive-thru lane where you can pick up digital orders without leaving your car. They also have plans to open a new North Allen Chipotlane later this year. These new restaurants will be open for takeout, mobile pick-up, and delivery only. The new Farmers Branch restaurant is at 2427 Valley View Ln. The Allen restaurant will be 1985 Central Expwy. #140. Hours will be 10:45 am-10 pm daily.

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.