A quirky downtown Dallas restaurant is being brought back to life: Metropolitan Cafe, which closed in late 2021 after 20 years as an urban oasis serving breakfast and lunch, has a new team with a plan to reopen in the fall.

Located in the heart of downtown at 2032 Main St., the cafe is being rescued by Noemi Chiriac, a former engineer at Raytheon with food & beverage experience, who has partnered with chef April Barney-Pouncy (Knife Plano, To Die Fork Desserts, Humble Pie) as a consultant, to refine the menu and vision.

Chiriac lives near the cafe and was a customer.

"It started out being about my mom," she says. "I suggested to then-owner Michael Vouras that he hire my mother to help doing rush hour — she could work a couple hours a day, and it was something I knew she would enjoy. It turned out to be the last day he was open. Michael said he had a couple offers but he wanted to sell to someone who would keep it a cafe. I said 'How about if I buy it for my mom — would you sell it to me?' He was interested because it had been him and his mom, and now it would be me and my mom."

Metropolitan was an unpretentious place where you could grab a bite for less than $10, known for its panini, breakfast sandwiches on croissants, crab cakes, and lemon-grilled chicken. It was one of those little places that adds to the fabric and color of a downtown district, making it that much richer.

"It'll be the same breakfast-and-lunch concept that Michael had, with breakfast sandwiches and lunch — we want to carry over some of the popular original dishes, but with some updates and additions," Chiriac says.

That includes the introduction of a blue-plate daily special.

"We want to do a hot plate, something different every day for people who want to grab lunch and will appreciate the variety," Chiriac says.

They're also applying for a liquor license to stay open for a daily happy hour for the downtown worker and residential crowd.

Metropolitan Cafe's other signature was its quirky interior, with an old-fashioned chalkboard and furniture from home. Chiriac says they'll keep the quirky but with a more overt Art Deco theme including new light fixtures, banquettes, and sconces.

"Mike had a lot of art on the walls, which we'll continue, as well as pictures of downtown and vintage buildings," she says. "We're also creating a small stage in the front window to be used for live music, jazz bands, during happy hour."

"We're paying homage to that 1900-to-1920 Art Deco time period," she says.