Henderson Avenue News
New restaurant from Tristan Simon to open on Dallas' Henderson Ave
Romy, coming to Henderson Avenue
A new restaurant is coming to Dallas' Henderson Avenue from true veterans of the scene: Called Romy, it's a bakery-café and modern American restaurant from a team assembled by Tristan Simon, returning to the street that helped define his career.
According to a release, the restaurant will open at 2050 N. Henderson Ave. — part of a major Henderson Avenue development that Simon is executing via Ignite-Rebees, a development firm led by Simon and Mark Masinter, who also has Henderson Avenue history.
Simon is partnered on the restaurant with longtime business partner Taryn Anderson as well as chef Matt Ford. It's forecast to open in December 2026.
The restaurant will be located in one of the four buildings that will comprise Henderson East, a three-story “hotelized” office hub designed to reimagine the workplace with high-end amenities, outdoor terraces, and hospitality-driven service.
Simon's return to Henderson Avenue comes 15 years after he first blazed a trail on the street with landmark concepts like Hibiscus, The Porch, Fireside Pies, and Victor Tangos.
“Henderson Avenue was where I first learned how restaurants could reshape and define a neighborhood,” Simon says in a statement. “Romy represents both a return and an evolution. A more mature, soulful expression of dining that reflects how we envision Henderson’s future restaurant culture and Taryn and Matt are the perfect choices to bring this concept to the neighborhood.”
Named after Anderson’s oldest daughter, Romy will be open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, transforming from a bakery-cafe during the day with cappuccinos, house-made pastries, and light seasonal dishes; into a modern, intimate American restaurant at night serving housemade pastas, wood-roasted meats, and a refined wine program.
“Romy reflects both where we’ve been and where we’re going,” said Anderson. “When we built restaurants on Henderson, it was a true dining destination driven by talented chefs and real hospitality. We’re bringing that spirit back—a return to craft, connection, and food with heart."
Designed by Kate Murphy and the Rebees Hospitality team, Romy’s interiors will blend natural materials such as oak, marble, brass, and hand-finished plaster ceilings.
Chef Matt Ford, executive chef at Billy Can Can (also co-owned by Simon and Anderson), will lead Romy’s culinary direction while continuing to oversee Billy Can Can.
In addition to operating as a standalone restaurant, Romy will also provide food and beverage service to the Henderson East office space, offering breakfast and lunch delivery, catering, and curated in-office dining experiences to tenants. This integration underscores Ignite-Rebees’ commitment to creating a seamless, hospitality-infused workplace where food, leisure, and community coexist.
“Henderson East will function less like an office building and more like a private club with a palpable sense of community and high-end hotel-quality amenities,” Simon says. “Romy’s role is to make coming to the office a joy and a source of pride.”
The Henderson Avenue development will span 10 architecturally distinct buildings and more than 160,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and office space.
