Casa Linda News
Highland Park Cafeteria space in East Dallas finally has a new tenant
One of the hottest vacancies in Dallas has a new tenant: The space in East Dallas shopping center Casa Linda Plaza that was formerly home to dining institution Highland Park Cafeteria will soon be serving up burgers and craft beer.
The space will become the newest location of Rodeo Goat, the burger-and-beer chain from Dallas restaurateur Shannon Wynne.
According to a representative from the EDENS, the landlord at Casa Linda Plaza, the restaurant is scheduled to open in spring 2022.
Highland Park Cafeteria closed in May 2020 due to hardships caused by the pandemic. The iconic cafeteria had been operating at Casa Linda Plaza since 2007, but its roots dated back to 1925.
HPC was hit particularly hard because of its cafeteria model, a style that became completely non-viable in the height of the virus.
Rodeo Goat will not face those issues, and Wynne has planned a number of changes that will make the location friendly in the post-pandemic world, says EDENS spokesman Michael Hale.
The location's original footprint was 12,000 square feet, which EDENS has split into two. Rodeo Goat will occupy the outer space on the corner, facing the side street, Losa Drive.
"Shannon has some exciting plans that include the creation of an indoor-outdoor space with a big patio," Hale says. "He's going to put in trees so it's shaded, and will transform that spot — creating an outdoor hangout you can go to after a baseball game or a visit to the Arboretum."
It's Wynne's first foray into East Dallas (Rockwall doesn't count). "Going through this process, I think he started to get the funky east Dallas vibe," Hale says.
It's a great voucher for the shopping center, which has undergone a makeover and signed a number of interesting restaurant concepts including Ellen's, Chiloso, Zaap Kitchen, Maya's Modern Mediterranean, El Porton Coffee, and most recently, Baldo's Ice Cream.
EDENS received many inquiries about the space. "We did have a lot of interest, although surprisingly, a lot were not restaurant-related," Hale says. "But we really wanted to provide a restaurant in that space."
For those retailers who were knocking, there's hope: The other half of the original cafeteria space, which will be snuggled between Rodeo Goat and Albertsons, is still up for rent.
