Pickle News
Shop in East Dallas dedicated entirely to pickles closes its doors
A one-of-a-kind shop in East Dallas dedicated to pickles has closed: Pickletopia, a shop at 4812 Bryan St. that sold pickles of all kinds, closed its doors at the end of 2022, and according to its owner, is unlikely to return.
The shop, which opened in 2018, was from Lee Theilen, a Dallas-born gourmand who'd worked with big food companies like Cargill, and who turned a hobby and passion for pickles into something unique for Dallas.
Theilen said he was advised by his lawyer not to talk about the closure — "I'm not even comfortable being on the phone," he said — but did place some of the blame on the pandemic.
"I think that in the aftermath of COVID-19, you're going to continue to see a lot of entrepreneurs who are tapped out, both monetarily and emotionally," he said.
Pickletopia was far more than a place to buy a jar of pickled cucumbers. Theilen pickled all kinds of things, from carrots in the winter to okra in the spring. In addition to pickled vegetables, he did things like a green papaya kraut with an Asian flair.
It also added a New York vibe to the area, a neighborhood which already boasted a strong foodie presence, with revered Italian market Jimmy's Food Store, Mai's, Top Round, and Urbano Cafe.
Almost simultaneously, the award-winning Khao Noodle Shop opened next door to Pickletopia, adding further luster to the area. (Khao eventually changed its focus to chicken under the name Darkoo's Chicken Shack.)
Right around the time Pickletopia opened, the property that was home to Mai's, Pickletopia, and Khao Noodle Shop changed hands. It's currently owned by Circle Park Texas LLC, a group owned by landlord David Eitches, who did not respond to an email regarding the disposition of the Pickletopia space.
In August, a lockout sign was taped to Mai's front door while the owners were on break in Vietnam. The restaurant, which initiated a renovation in 2017, had been in business since 1982.
In October, the locks were changed at Darkoo's, due to nonpayment of rent.
All three businesses are now closed.