Closure news

Healthy to-go shop Snap Kitchen closes 6 Dallas-Fort Worth locations

Snap Kitchen is closing six Dallas-Fort Worth locations.

Snap Kitchen, a retailer of healthy prepared meals, is closing 14 stores in Texas — including six in Dallas-Fort Worth — effective November 6.

Austin-based Snap Kitchen, founded in 2010, made the announcement October 30. Along with the DFW stores, one location will close in north Austin and seven stores will shutter in the Houston area. That leaves just two locations remaining open in DFW, three in Austin, and one in Houston.

The DFW stores closing November 6 are:

4941 Belt Line Rd., Dallas
4164 N. Central Expwy., Dallas
2222 McKinney Ave., Dallas
4436 Lemmon Ave., Dallas
5717 Legacy Dr., Plano
2175 E. Southlake Blvd., Southlake

Dallas' Snap Kitchen at 4115 Skillman St. and Fort Worth's store at 2828 W. Seventh St. will remain open.

Snap Kitchen spokeswoman Emily Dunn says that before COVID-19, the company had been ramping up its digital and subscription services, but the retail fallout caused by the pandemic accelerated those moves.

“It appears, almost daily, increased aspects of our lives shift online — and it is our belief that this consumer behavior shift is here to stay. As such, we are placing greater focus on our direct-to-consumer business to get us through and to the other side of this recession,” Dunn says.

Elsewhere in Texas, these stores are closing November 6:

10526 W. Parmer Ln., Austin
5710 Memorial Dr., Houston
9807 Katy Fwy., Houston
19355 Katy Greenhouse, Houston
250 W. 20th St., Houston
19325 Gulf Fwy., Webster
4005 Montrose Blvd., Houston
5785 San Felipe St., Houston

“We are heartbroken to no longer be able to serve our customers through these retail locations,” Snap Kitchen CEO Anthony Smith wrote in a blog post. “However, you can continue to receive your favorite Snap Kitchen meals — easier than ever — through contactless delivery directly to your door. We are so grateful for the loyalty you’ve shown us over the years, and we want you to know that we’re still here for you.”

Around Texas, the following stores will remain open:

1014 W. Sixth St.
10001 Research Blvd.
4301 W. William Cannon Dr.
3600 Kirby Dr., Houston

Snap Kitchen meals are still are available online and at certain Whole Foods Market stores.

For Snap Kitchen customers with orders ready to be picked up, meal plans will continue as usual until November 6. Some plans with orders scheduled after November 6 will be shifted to the nearest store that’s still open. For others, any orders scheduled after the closing day will be automatically canceled and refunded.

“We are beyond lucky to have customers like yourself who have helped us earn a sense of brand loyalty that is unmatched in Texas among healthy food options,” Smith wrote. “So, while we are saddened to be closing many of our doors, we are hopeful that you’ll continue to trust us to bring you healthy, convenient meals in a snap.”

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat and grandchildren. According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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