Downtown News
Cafe at Dallas' AT&T District from famous Food Network chef closes
A downtown Dallas cafe from celebrity chef Amanda Freitag has closed: Rise & Thyme, which served as a linchpin of the buzzy AT&T Discovery District, closed on August 31.
Freitag is the acclaimed chef and Food Network regular who has battled Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America, competed for the title of America's Next Iron Chef, and serves as a judge on Chopped.
A spokesperson confirmed the closure — but in good news, said the concept would be relocating to Victory Park, to a location still TBA.
"The new location is larger and will provide more flexibility for the brand to develop more fully," the spokesperson said. "The Discovery District has been a great spot to incubate. We're proud of the good reviews we've received, and Amanda has loved being part of the downtown community."
The move will provide the restaurant with the opportunity to introduce a real bar program, with bloody Marys, mimosas, and wine by the glass.
Rise & Thyme was a sophisticated and highly practical outpost, with a menu of great-yet-affordable sandwiches, pastas, salads, and sweets — a reliable destination for downtown residents and office workers to get coffee and grab-and-go tacos and toasts for breakfast and lunch.
It also ably competed in an intersection that was home to three other coffee shops including Starbucks, Otto's, and White Horse Cafe.
The cafe opened in 2020 as part of a wave of restaurants such as Jaxon and Bobber's Burgers. In May 2022, the Discovery District executed a shake-up, replacing originals such as Texas brasserie Ounce and Asian restaurant Ichi Ni San with a new lineup that includes slider concept Easy Sliders, a chicken place called Birdie, and a rotating chef concept called Attalie.
Freitag just landed a new cooking competition show: Called Chef Swap at the Beach, it'll feature Freitag uncovering restaurant gems on Myrtle Beach, and is slated to premiere on the Cooking Channel in October.
Meanwhile, AT&T is currently working on a replacement concept to go into Rise & Thyme's space at the Discovery District.
