A classy brewpub in Frisco is closing: City Works Eatery and Pour House, which has been serving craft beer and good pub food at The Star in Frisco at 3680 The Star Blvd. #1300 since 2017, will shutter in early January.

According to a spokesperson, the restaurant will close at the end of business on Sunday January 5. In a statement, they called the decision "bittersweet" and said that serving the community has been an honor.

City Works was a concept from a company called Bottleneck Management, which began in 2001 with Trace, a tavern in Chicago, and which now oversees a variety of concepts with names such as Howells & Hood, The Boundary, and Old Town Pour House.

City Works combined an emphasis on craft beer but with more of a restaurant focus. The first location opened in Minneapolis in 2016. Frisco was their fifth location when it opened in August 2017. They have seven other locations in Illinois, Pittsburgh, and Florida as well as Fort Worth, which opened months later at the Shops at Clearfork in December 2017, and which will remain open.

A statement from Bottleneck Management said that," With the challenges presented in the current environment, our company is focused on well-established City Works restaurants in markets around the country, as well as future national expansion. We are proud to have served the Frisco community and thank our guests for their patronage."

The concept itself seems robust, but the same might not be said for The Star in Frisco, which has seen more than a few closures since it debuted in 2016.

City Works' bar featured dozens of beers, thoughtfully offered in pints as well as 6-ounce portions for tasting, and flights. Menu items included duck confit nachos, flatbreads, the namesake City Works burger, smoked BBQ ribs, pretzel rolls with a Gouda cheese dip, battered fried cheese curds, truffle mac & cheese, white bean hummus, and chili with both steak and pork.

They did a vibrant weekend brunch with French toast stuffed with Baileys Irish cream cheese and a "monster" 20-ounce Bloody Mary topped with one of those skewers hoisting six items that include shrimp and a Slim Jim stir stick.

The space had 13,000 square feet — that's a lot of square feet to pay rent on — along with a two-story outdoor patio, 18 flat-screen HDTVs, and eight massive 110-inch quad screens.

If The Star had turned out to be the crowd magnet hoped for, a place like City Works might have thrived.

The restaurant's closure strategy — informing employees and the public — was praised by fans and former employees. One said, "I think it also shows a lot about the company that they're giving their employees a heads up. January is a tough month to find a new job in the restaurant business. More often than not, restaurants don't give ANY sort of notice to the hourly staff. Whether or not [this] is a good business decision is debatable, but it's certainly a good people decision."

Bottleneck vowed to go out on a high note.

"Although the decision to close was not an easy one, we are determined to end on a high note," their statement said. "Guests can join us in these final weeks to savor their favorite dishes and celebrate New Year’s Day with our signature brunch which includes:

• Cinnamon Toast Shot – Fireball, Rumchata
• Jelly Donut Shot – Chambord, Baileys
• Mini Espresso Martini - Absolut, Kahlua, Owen’s nitro-infused espresso
• Banana Foster Pancakes - buttermilk pancakes, rum caramel, bananas, spiced walnuts, whipped cream
• Chilaquiles - smoked chicken, sunny-side-up tajin eggs, salsa roja, tomatillo salsa verde, avocado, red onion, queso fresco, tortilla chips, micro cilantro

They called serving the community "an absolute honor."