Wine News
Dallas-based Cru Food and Wine Bar closes location in Allen

Cru Wine Bar
A revered neighborhood wine bar in Allen has poured its last glass: Cru Food and Wine Bar closed its location at 842 Watters Creek Blvd. in Watters Creek Village after 16 years.
Cru is the cosmopolitan wine bar chain founded by Patrick Colombo, veteran Dallas restaurateur and CEO of Restaurant Works (Princi Italia, Nick & Sam’s). He opened the first location in the West Village shopping center in Dallas in 2002 with a formula of 30 wines by the glass and 300 bottles from around the world, with a casual menu of food inspired by the Napa Valley.
A second location opened in Plano in 2004. Allen opened in 2008, and a third opened in Fort Worth in 2017.
According to Colombo, their lease at Watters Creek ended in January.
"A new landlord took over, and we were unable to reach an agreement," he says.
The wine bar was a reliable destination, open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, with sharable plates, sandwiches, and wood-fired pizzas. They also hosted events such as wine tastings and live music nights.
The staff at Allen found jobs at other locations under Restaurant Works' portfolio, including Cru and Princi Italia, including chef Terry Vila, who is now executive chef at the Legacy West location.
After all their years in Allen, they built a strong following but are seeing some regulars at their Plano location, Colombo says.