Coronavirus News

Restaurant at Dallas' Klyde Warren Park closes with reboot to come

Savor Gastropub at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas

One presumes that the glass walls will not go away.

Photo courtesy of Savor Gastropub

The flagship restaurant at Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas has been felled by the coronavirus: Savor, an upscale gastropub that opened in 2013, has been shuttered, and will be replaced in 2021 by a concept still to be decided.

Kit Sawers, president of Klyde Warren Park, confirms that Savor and Relish, its companion burger stand, will close on August 23.

"Like so many resturants around the country, they're closing due to the economic impact of COVID-19," she says.

John Muse, a member of the Woodall Rogers Park Foundation, created Savor in partnership with chef John Coleman, formerly of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dallas. Muse also oversees the park's pavilion.

When Savor opened in 2013, we called it "a chrome-and-glass stunner" whose outer shell made of glass guaranteed floor-to-ceiling views of the park. The food & beverage program featured shareable dishes and wines on tap. Favorite dishes included deviled eggs and flatbreads.

While the park has been a hit, restaurants have not. Lark on the Park, the first restaurant to open near the park, closed in 2018, with owner Shannon Wynne stating that "nobody knew what to expect from Park visitors" when they opened in 2013. He replaced it with Miriam, a Mexican restaurant, in 2019.

Savor was a tenant at KWP, and part of its revenue is earmarked to help support the park's operation which relies on events, sponsorships, and the food operators onsite, which also include the food trucks that park there every day.

"It's really critical for the park to have a restaurant partner that generates funding," Sawers says.

Prior to the coronavirus, Savor appointed a new chef: Luke Rogers, young (under-30) and with a good buzz; he was just announced as a contestant for the annual Iron Fork cooking competition.

Sawers says they're using the opportunity to rethink the concept and have hired a restaurant broker to help figure it out. They'll consider national and local operators, she says, but they'll definitely go for something more casual.

"Over the years, we've heard feedback that visitors would love a place where they feel comfortable coming in T-shirts from the park and being able to walk right in," she says.

In the interm, they'll use the space as a rental venue.

"When Savor first opened, we all took a risk, and now people are attached to the park and have strong opinions," Sawers says. "We're eager to turn this over to guests and ask them what they want there."

parks downtown closings

New sushi spot

Kichi Bar rolls out sushi and late-night happy hour in Carrollton

Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

A spread at Kichi Bar.

A hidden-gem Japanese restaurant and bar is serving late-night happy hour in Carrollton’s Koreatown neighborhood: Called Kichi Bar, the restaurant showcases elevated sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, and seasonal cocktails.

Located at 2630 Old Denton Rd. #130, in Carrollton’s lively Asian dining, retail and entertainment hub, Kichi offers a modern atmosphere for social and shareable dining. Chef-owner Chris Han says it starts with strong technique in the kitchen and focusing on quality guest experience.

“From the beginning, our goal was to create a place people could come to often, not just for special occasions,” Han, a first-time restaurateur, says in a release. “We focus on consistency, quality, and making sure guests feel comfortable every time they walk in.”

Since Kichi Bar opened in August 2025, the restaurant has garnered praise online from patrons and local food social media influencers for its artistic plates and happy hour deals.

The chef at work.Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

Sushi and sashimi menu items start at $4 and $10, or diners can opt for shareable set menus, such as the $69 Kichi sashimi set, which comes with miso soup, salad, maitake or chicken, and sashimi for two.

In addition to a range of sushi and sashimi, Kichi's menu features savory dishes such as $12 creamy uni pasta and $28 chopped lamb with truffle soy tomatoes. Han recommends their nigiris and the black cod dish.

“We go through an aging process for all our fish anywhere from 24 hours to 72 days,” Han says. Aging fish is a technique that enhances the umami flavor fundamental to Japanese cuisine.

For something sweet, Kichi serves ice cream flavors including coffee, cinnamon, and ube. And the drink lineup includes a sake martini, seasonal cocktails, and a variety of alcohol-free options such as a pineapple mint cooler.

Han began his culinary journey in college working as a server in a Japanese restaurant. At the encouragement of the owner, Han began training in the kitchen, working his way from dishwasher to learning how to make tempura and perfecting sushi rice. Since then, he’s worked at other Japanese restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth including Bluefish, Edoko, and Uchi.

Han says he appreciates Japanese cuisine for its simple flavors that allow quality ingredients to shine. His culinary philosophy, which is “guests eat with their eyes first,” informs the techniques and aesthetics at Kichi.

“My focus is to make sure to do the basics. Clean plates, clean presentation,” Han says.

Late-night happy hour starts at 9 pm, Sunday-Thursday.Photo courtesy of Kichi Bar

Kichi serves dinner seven days a week. Late-night happy hour, when select drinks start at $4 and kitchen menu items start at $5, is on tap Sunday through Thursday from 9 pm to close. Reservations are encouraged on weekends and holidays.

“We try to make our restaurant more guest focused, being near the Asian community where everything is fast paced can be a bit complicated concept for some,” Han says. “But I hope that when people dine [at Kichi Bar], they take their time to enjoy their meal. We don't push out all our food at once … we want them to enjoy their time here.”

Kichi is open for dinner service 5-11 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5 pm-midnight Friday and Saturday.

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