Tex-Mex News

Dallas Chuy's on McKinney Avenue gets nudged from Knox after 30 years

Chuy's burrito

Chuy's/Instagram

An Austin-based Tex-Mex restaurant that spent 31 years on McKinney Avenue is picking up and moving: Chuy’s, located at 4544 McKinney Ave., is moving to Greenville Avenue.

The new address will be 1520 Greenville Ave., formerly Desert Racer, the short-lived patio spot from chef Nick Badovinus which closed in March. According to the Dallas Morning News (which published the story with two headlines — "Chuy’s to leave Dallas’ McKinney Avenue for the east side" and "Chuy's on Dallas' McKinney Avenue will close and move in April 2025"), it is slated to open in spring 2025.

Despite its long reign at its McKinney Avenue location, this isn’t the first move for Dallas' Chuy's. It moved from its original location in the West End to the current space in 1993.

The relocation is due to the fact that the property will be razed, part of a mixed-use development on Knox Street that's expected to open in 2026 and include a hotel, luxury condos, office space, and retail and dining space.

Rumors about the likely closure of that Chuy's location had circulated for nearly a year.

Founded in Austin by Mike Young and John Zapp in 1982, Chuy’s became known for its Tex-Mex cuisine and eclectic decor, featuring tree sculptures, Elvis art, dog photos, and more. Some of their signature dishes include Big As Yo Face Burritos, Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas, and the Elvis Presley Memorial combo.

Emphasizing the April move date, Travis Hudson, VP of operations for Chuy's, told the DMN that they "hope to be open before Cinco de Mayo."

Another big change happened for the company in July, when they were acquired by Darden Restaurants, the hospitality company that owns other big-name chains, such as Olive Garden and The Capital Grille. There's also an expansion in the works for the DFW area, with a new location opening soon in Hudson Oaks in Fort Worth.

The restaurant will stay open at the current location until the move next year.

Deli News

Gourmet market Ari's Pantry to open in Dallas' Trinity Groves

Ari's Pantry

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A new gourmet grocery is coming to Trinity Groves: Ari's Pantry, the market launched in Oak Cliff by husband-and-wife Ari and Amy Lowenstein, will open a second location in West Dallas’ Trinity Groves, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday, November 30.

Located at 3011 Gulden Ln. #119 in the space that was once home to Potato Flats who remembers them, the Trinity Groves store will offer: pasta, olive oil, vinegars, preserves, candy, bread, crackers, cheese, meats, pizza dough, fresh pasta, housewares, cocktail ingredients, novelty kitchen gadgets, spices, prepared foods, fresh pesto and Ari’s own tomato sauce.

“We are excited to open our newest location at Trinity Groves joining the great businesses already there and the wave of new ventures opening in the development,” Ari Lowenstein says in a release. “With this location we will reach a new audience in West Dallas and be closer to our customers coming from downtown and the north.”

The couple opened their first location in Winnetka Heights at 1307 ½ W. Davis St. in December 2023 to fulfill Ari's passion for all things Italy. The idea was a small Italian food store with recipe-ready staples, with a hyper-local vibe. It has since blossomed into a general-purpose gourmet stop.

In addition to the food staples for sale found at their Bishop Arts location, Ari’s Trinity Groves location will also include a commercial catering kitchen that will enable them to provide full-service catering, prepared meal pick-up, pasta classes, and private dinners.

“Amy and Ari bring something new and special to this development as our first partner to offer consumer packaged goods made by people and companies outside of Trinity Groves,” said Sam Romano, Partner at West Dallas Investments, parent company of Trinity Groves. “They are part of the vision we have for the future of Trinity Groves that will combine innovative, up and coming chefs and restauranteurs with lifestyle and entertainment options like pickleball, bocce ball, popup events, arcade game play and additional retail partners.”

The Ari's empire doesn't stop here: Their goal is to open multiple locations "in all corners of DFW and beyond," and that includes a location in the Cyprus Waters community in Coppell, slated to open in spring 2025.

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