Pizza News
Original Dallas location of game-changing Fireside Pies pizza closes
Fireside Pies pizza
A legendary pizzeria has shuttered: The original location of Dallas pizza chain Fireside Pies, located at 2820 N. Henderson Ave., has closed, after 20 years in the space.
It's the end of an era of sorts. The restaurant was first opened there in 2004 by chef Nick Badovinus, and proved to be a game-changer for Dallas' pizza scene.
A statement from Golden Tree Restaurants, which currently owns the chain, blamed the closure on the pandemic.
"We are saddened to share that our flagship Henderson Avenue – Dallas Fireside Pies restaurant is now closed to the public," the company said. "Opened in 2004, it was a staple of the community and we are thankful to everyone who joined us for a delicious meal over those almost 20 years."
"Unfortunately in the later part of those two decades during COVID-19, our business, like many others throughout the restaurant industry, was affected by closures and lack of in-restaurant dining," they said. "While we worked tirelessly to serve Dallas exceptional fare and maintain our high standards, we were unable to recuperate lost sales and rebound back to pre-Pandemic foot traffic levels. The decision was made with a heavy heart and was based upon business needs and the state of our brand.”
A subscription-only story in the Dallas Morning News says that the restaurant closed "a day before Halloween in 2023."
The closure leaves the chain with two locations, neither, shockingly, in Dallas: Grapevine and Fort Worth, which opened in March 2023. The last Dallas location was in Lake Highlands, and it closed in October, as well.
Fireside Pies was acquired by Golden Tree in 2018, purchased from Dallas-based Chalak Mitra Group who'd owned them since 2014. Golden Tree also owns the Golden Chick chain.
