Closure News

Healthy Dallas restaurant eats it at cursed Preston Center address

We will gather no longer at Preston Center.

The bowls didn't cut it in Preston Center. Gather Kitchen, the healthy downtown Dallas restaurant specializing in healthy bowls and nutritious, affordable food, pulled the plug on its Preston Center sibling at 6135 Luther Ln.

Manager Steven Thompson confirmed that the restaurant had closed at the end of May. But he says not to blame the cuisine — it's the location that did them in.

Gather Kitchen is a fast-casual concept founded by Soraya Spencer, a native of Algeria born into a family of chefs. She opened the first location at Thanksgiving Tower in 2017 with a commitment to whole, non-processed foods, served in an innovative, fast-food model.

Her menu offers vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and Whole 30 options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

There are bowls for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Customers choose a base, then toppings from a choice of vegetables; protein; and sauces, made daily without sugar or additives. Options include zucchini "noodles," cauliflower "rice," poached shrimp, grass-fed beef crumble, basil-cashew-pesto, and six-pepper Mexican sauce.

Spencer was ahead of a pack that's marching in, including concepts such as Cava and Mixt.

After building a solid following in downtown Dallas, she opened the Preston Center location in September 2018. The location had longer hours, Monday-Friday 7 am to 9 pm, and weekends, as well, which the downtown location does not have. Preston Center was open all day Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm, and Sundays with brunch from 10 am to 4 pm.

The restaurant earned positive reviews for its food and friendly service. But that address at 6135 Luther Ln., the one-time Cafe Expresso, has not had great luck, having been home to a revolving door of concepts including Bowen's Cafe, Peak Wood-Fired Grill, and Hospitality Sweet.

Thompson says also that the energy in Preston Center has shifted slightly northwest, toward the intersection of Westchester Drive and Berkshire Avenue, where the new mini Target store is.

"It's only a few blocks away, but we just didn't see the foot traffic on our side of the center," he says.

Preston Center has hosted many a healthy concept, including Dallas' only raw food restaurant, Be Raw (now closed), and is currently home to Gem, the healthy juice bar.

Thompson says their downtown location is still going strong, and they're not ruling out another crack at expansion. "We just need a better location," he says.

closings

Downtown News

Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year

Ari's

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A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed: Ari’s Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District at 1800 Main St.#124.

A statement from the owners called it "a difficult decision." The closure is effective July 15.

"We are truly grateful for the welcome Ari's Pantry received from the downtown Dallas community. You have supported our business and shared in our passion for Italian food and hospitality. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Downtown Dallas location effective today," their post said.

The closure comes a little over a year since they opened in May 2025.

Downtown was the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill owner Ari Lowenstein's passion for all things Italy, with pastas, gourmet goods, dried foods, produce, plus meals for dining in or to go.

They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024, which is currently marked on their website as "closed for the summer," although it does not list a re-opening date. Lowenstein was unavailable for comment.

The downtown location was originally a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, a downtown enthusiast who owns businesses nearby such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff. However, Kearney withdrew from the store after it opened.

To accommodate the needs of downtown workers and residents, Lowenstein added a coffee shop and gelato stand. It was open for coffee at 7 am and until 9 pm, with a dining area where customers could have wine and cheese.

The location at 1800 Main St. seems to be in a favorable spot, surrounded by residential buildings and hotels such as the AC Hotel and Statler Dallas. Who has not spent a night in a hotel and longed for a market nearby with snacks and wine? It's also across the street from Neiman Marcus, whose imminent closure in September has provoked some pearl-clutching about the prosperity of downtown. But the downtown population does not always support local businesses.

Ari's was not the first to find the location challenging: It was previously occupied by the well-mounted Berkley's Market, which closed in 2024 after six years in the space.

The owners stated that they would "continue focusing on our locations in Coppell and Bishop Arts as we look ahead to the next chapters of Ari's Pantry," before thanking "every customer who stopped in for coffee, lunch or gelato, picked up dinner, discovered a new favorite ingredient."

downtown closings