Not one but two watering holes in downtown Dallas are closing, and that includes The Mitchell, the bar at 1404 Main St. that has been a staple of the downtown scene for more than a decade.

Its younger sibling and next-door neighbor Ye Olde Scarlet Pumpernickel Tavern will also close, says co-owner Adam Salazar, who calls it a real estate decision.

"The two bars are owned by a group, and they've decided to sell the buildings," Salazar says. "It's unfortunate, but it's a little beyond my pay grade."

The Mitchell opened in 2015, taking over a space in the heart of the Central Business District that had previously been home to bars such as the Chesterfield, One Eyed Penguin, and Prohibition — and long ago, a Chinese restaurant called Mandalay.

They made good use of the kitchen, serving food that regularly earned praise. But their main emphasis was always on having a lively, bustling bar, inspired by bars one might find in cities such as San Francisco or Chicago.

As for the Scarlet Pumpernickel, Salazar opened that in 2020, commandeering a space that had been occupied for 14 years by City Tavern, but which had originally been home to a Greek restaurant called the Zodiac. (City Tavern relocated to 1514 Elm St. in 2019.)

"The Mitchell was doing well, and I feel like the Scarlet could've been there for 50 years," Salazar says. "I am proud of everyone who works there. We didn't always do mainstream stuff, especially the Mitchell, where we only offered one bottle of vodka — but were successful doing it. We were definitely a staple in downtown, especially with the service industry."

He says they'll be closing over Easter weekend. "The idea is to get the building vacated, so it will be easier to sell," he says.

Meanwhile, "we're going to go out with a bang," he says. "We'll be open so that downtown people can come visit us in the next week, and bring back some of the classics like the Monte Cristo sandwich, that we served over the years."