Wine News
Cru Food & Wine Bar to close at Dallas' West Village after 23 years
wine by the glass
An iconic neighborhood wine bar in Dallas' West Village is about to pour its last glass: Cru Food & Wine Bar, which has been at 3699 McKinney Ave. #107 for more than 23 years, will close its doors this week.
Accoding to founder Patrick Colombo, the final send-off will be on August 31, although he promises that the location is likely to pop up elsewhere in Dallas.
"We're coming up on 24 years there, but we've been on a month-to-month lease, and we've been looking into the idea of moving to a new location," Colombo says.
Colombo is the veteran Dallas restaurateur and CEO of Restaurant Works (Princi Italia, Nick & Sam’s), who debuted the Cru concept in the West Village shopping center in Dallas in 2002, with an innovative formula of 30 wines by the glass and 300 bottles from around the world, plus a casual menu of food inspired by the Napa Valley.
He went on to open other locations in Plano and Fort Worth, but Dallas was the original — launching a perennially popular concept and also serving as a cornerstone for the West Village during its buzzy heyday.
The wine bar remained a reliable and hip 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. It all helped to create a longevity that is rare.
Colombo recently sold part of the ownership of Cru to a group that has ambitious plans for expansion.
"We've been looking at areas like Atlanta and the southeast U.S., as well as airports," he says. "The brand is playing well in those markets, it's something new we can bring."
In addition to Cru, he's opening a new concept at Preston Hollow Village, an upscale pizza and pasta place called Centrale Italia which will serve wood-fired dishes, Neapolitan-style pizza, pastas, and gelato made in-house.
Colombo was co-founder of Sfuzzi, the pioneering Italian concept that was one of the first in Dallas to serve pizza topped with arugula in the late '80s, and now he's enjoying sharing his knowledge with the next generation.
"I've got my son Julian working with me and he's got a good feel for the business," Colombo says. "He enjoys the customer service side, and that fits with where the industry is moving, where it's become increasingly important to create a hospitality experience."
