201 replies to this topic

[JBB]

I'm surprised any big chain Mexican food place makes it at all in Fort Worth, Austin, or anywhere in Texas when we have so many outstanding local Mexican restaurants to choose from.

 

The sheer popularity of the genre helps and some chains do serve a good, quality product: Mariano's/La Hacienda Ranch, Lupe Tortilla, Gringo's in the Houston area are all among my favorites.  

[eastfwther]

As someone who doesnt cook and eats out regularly, I started going into restaurants as soon they started opening again. Now that restaurants have had to roll back reopening to 50% capacity again, it seems to me some of my regular eateries have less of a crowd now that cases are soaring then they had at 50% pre-rollback. It makes me question how much longer most full service restaurants can sustain themselves. Not to mention if we have to totally shut down again! Im embarrassed to say that maybe Im just NOW starting to realize just how scary this situation has become economically for this industry. I really fear how few restaurants may be around a year from now.

[John T Roberts]

You may have to cook for yourself!

[eastfwther]

You may have to cook for yourself!

Trust me, nobody wants that!!

[John T Roberts]

I'm a pretty good cook and I have been eating nearly all three meals a day at home.  What I will do is cook enough to last me for several meals, then either refrigerate or freeze it and then bring it back out.  I have tried to support some of the local restaurants by ordering carryout about one time per week.  The last time I ate indoors at a restaurant was on March 6th, and since the openings, I have eaten on a patio twice.  Once was on a bike ride and the second was when I put my car in the shop.  I took the car to be fixed at a shop close to the office, but what should have taken a couple of hours, took all day.  That left me working with no food to eat, so I walked down the street to a restaurant with a patio and I sat out there alone and ate my lunch.   I thought that was pretty good social distancing, since I was the only one out there and I saw my waitress twice. Once to take the order and pay, and the second time to deliver the food.  I politely told her that I was keeping my distance and I didn't need her to check on me.  I gave her an extremely nice tip for her to come as little as possible to table.  She was wearing a mask.

[renamerusk]

Five months of wall to wall news, trillions of dollars in bailouts, schools closed, tens of thousands of death and rising, businesses permanently closing, unemployment at depression level numbers, well over 75% of Americans wearing face covering -  hmmm, this might now be scary!

 

Never before have I been so moved as I am now to use the sarcasm font.

[Big Frog II]

I have yet to eat inside at a restaurant since this all began, but I have picked up just as often as I would have eaten out before to help support these businesses.  I still know that there is no possible way they all can hang on at 50% indefinitely.  Carry out is helping, but does not make up for all the lost revenue.

[renamerusk]

 

It is probably too much for this idea to be taken realistically,  but might it had been a survival strategy to go into hibernating mode until all of this passes.

To make a hibernating strategy viable, I wonder how many restaurants have enough savings on hand to continue to pay their rent/mortgage without a revenue stream.

 

 

I wondering also. I do think that the hibernation period may last as long as 60 days and would require an emergency order to suspend rent and other utility based obligations.  For instance, Fort Worth might suspend water charges to these businesses and Oncor/Power Providers could readjust their charges so that they can be repaid over a 12months period.

 

I heard a pretty stark option being asked of the public:  Is it more better to close bars and restaurant now so that schools and colleges can open in September?  July 1 is approximately 60 days from doable reopening of period for schools and colleges with anywhere at or about September 8 as the hard deadline.

 

What the State Level Government did when it rushed the opening of Texas too soon was to put the coming school year in jeopardy.

[eastfwther]

I had to go to Houston for a few days and saw a blurb on the local news there saying so far about 1500 Texas restaurants have closed permanently since the pandemic began. 

[rriojas71]

I had to go to Houston for a few days and saw a blurb on the local news there saying so far about 1500 Texas restaurants have closed permanently since the pandemic began. 

Wow! That is brutal.  I knew it was high but not that high.

[elpingüino]

Taverna downtown has closed. It was there 14 years. https://www.star-tel...e244319272.html

[renamerusk]

But not these guys!

 

https://www.marketwa...unds-2020-04-14

[mmmdan]

I have yet to eat inside at a restaurant since this all began, but I have picked up just as often as I would have eaten out before to help support these businesses.  I still know that there is no possible way they all can hang on at 50% indefinitely.  Carry out is helping, but does not make up for all the lost revenue.

 

Same for our family.  We are "eating out" the same amount as we have always been, just getting it to go.

[eastfwther]

 

I have yet to eat inside at a restaurant since this all began, but I have picked up just as often as I would have eaten out before to help support these businesses.  I still know that there is no possible way they all can hang on at 50% indefinitely.  Carry out is helping, but does not make up for all the lost revenue.

 

Same for our family.  We are "eating out" the same amount as we have always been, just getting it to go.

 

Well I've still been eating out quite a bit.  However, going between Fort Worth And Dallas so often, I've found myself eating at odd hours so I usually  miss busy restaurant times.  And that's assuming these restaurants are busy.  I've gone to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Benito's on Magnolia twice and both times it was eerie how quiet it was.  I read that some of the big chain restaurants are doing well during this pandemic, it's the local eateries that are struggling, so I try to mostly hit up local spots. 

[John T Roberts]

I have done carry out from Benito's a few times since the pandemic started.  Another local Mexican Restaurant that I would recommend is Vallarta on Seminary Drive. 

[panthercity]

Vallarta is a good seafood spot. Benitos I could never get into, I find their food too bland. Ernestos on McCart is my go to when I cant make it home for moms home cooking.

[John T Roberts]

We used Benito's for our Forum Meetings because they were the only place I found in the center of town that could accommodate a group of any size and it also didn't bother management when I said that 10 were coming and only 2 of us showed up. 

[Doohickie]

Vallarta is a good seafood spot. Benitos I could never get into, I find their food too bland. Ernestos on McCart is my go to when I cant make it home for moms home cooking.

I have yet to try Vallarta but I've been to Ernestos a few times.  I've been to Nueva on McCart just north of Seminary.  That was an adventure because on the outside it says, "Be prepared to speak Spanish" and they ain't kidding.  I got a burrito that was pretty good, not quite sure what it was, I just said one of the words on the menu.  And El Tacolote truck in the parking lot at Lubbock and Seminary is pretty good too.  And lately I've been going to La Casa de Lina in Wedgwood too.

[eastfwther]

I read in the DMN that DFW Airport most likely will allow restaurants and retailers to opt out of their leases without penalties. Restaurant and retail business has dropped at least 70% at both DFW and Lovefield airports

[txbornviking]

southside rambler closing
 

https://www.star-tel...e244420682.html

[Jeriat]

southside rambler closing
 

https://www.star-tel...e244420682.html

 

. . . eh.

[george84]

I cant see the article but last week I read something about the owner posting a racist meme and also about a culture of harassment at the restaurant.

[Austin55]

I'm excited for someone better to use that space.

[John T Roberts]

Buffalo West Steakhouse (inside the old Steak & Ale) on Camp Bowie West Blvd. has permanently closed.  They had pretty good steaks and burgers when they were in business.  Their salad bar was also a good buy for the money because you got salad, soup, and a baked potato.  It was also within walking distance of my office, so it was convenient.

[johnfwd]

I dined there with a friend a couple of times awhile back.  Yes, the food was good.  Liked the salad bar, too.  The atmosphere was pleasant, even cozy.  As we know, restaurants are difficult businesses to survive the consumer market, not to mention a pandemic.

[Austin55]

Planet Sub has for lease signs on it.

[eastfwther]

There is some confusion whether Stirr on Crockett is closed for good or just temporarily.  According to FW Weekly, the Star-Telegram reported it was closed for good after patrons received emails that the bar/restaurant was "sadly closing", but immediately after that story was out,  the establishment contacted the Weekly and said it was closed temporarily.  I guess this one is a wait and see.  

[Doohickie]

Not a closing, but HopFusion Aleworks laid off half their staff today.  Very sad day.

[Doohickie]

southside rambler closing
 

https://www.star-tel...e244420682.html

That's a shame.  I wanted to check them out.  Never got around to it.

[panthercity]

Not a closing, but HopFusion Aleworks laid off half their staff today.  Very sad day.

That one is sad. They are by far one of the coolest breweries in Fort Worth. I hope the lay-offs allow them to stay in business through this. Maybe in the future those same employees can return.

[JBB]

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like a lot of the businesses that failed early on in the crisis were on soft footing to begin with and we're now entering the phase where even the strong are going to have trouble surviving.

 

What may get a lot of these restaurants in the end is the limited appeal of to-go ordering.  Buffalo West may be an example of that.  I'm likely to get a burger or an order of hot wings to go, but I can't picture stopping and picking up a $40 ribeye to eat at home after it's been sitting in a to-go box for 20 minutes.

[John T Roberts]

JBB, I agree with you.  If I have an opportunity of getting a ribeye in a to-box, I would rather just grill it myself.  However, I am going to miss them because Buffalo West was one of our regular lunch haunts. 

[eastfwther]

 

 I'm likely to get a burger or an order of hot wings to go, but I can't picture stopping and picking up a $40 ribeye to eat at home after it's been sitting in a to-go box for 20 minutes.

I read an article last week that interviewed several restaurant owners in Dallas and Fort Worth about the current state of DFW restaurants.  One thing mentioned was that "fine dining" is dead right now.  So you're in line with most people; burgers, chicken wings and other less expensive food is what most people are picking up and/or getting delivered these days.  

[JBB]

I feel like finer dining is going to be especially hit by the inability to offset reduced capacity losses with to-go business.  One of the more interesting to-go options that showed up in my email inbox this week was Texas de Brazil.  That seems, again, like a concept that's going to be hurt pretty bad by this idea of to-go food not being a sustainable option in the long run.

[johnfwd]

You're right that the "to-go" versus "finer dining" options may be not be a financially viable mix under the 50-percent capacity scenario, at least for those restaurants more notable for in-dining as opposed to take-out.  I include Texas de Brazil in the former category.

 

I think a restaurant's reputation and consumer perception go hand in hand to penalize the in-dining restaurants.  Obviously the eateries most accustomed to take-out are the fast-food establishments (e.g., McDonald's) and pizza places (e.g., Dominoes) and they are probably less concerned about the 50-percent capacity directive.  Consumers who perceive these types to be mostly take-out, anyway, are more apt to flock to them for take-out rather than the Reatas, the Texas de Brazils, and their like.

 

What about the catering business?  Wonder how some of the eating establishments who do catering are faring?

[Doohickie]

 

Not a closing, but HopFusion Aleworks laid off half their staff today.  Very sad day.

That one is sad. They are by far one of the coolest breweries in Fort Worth. I hope the lay-offs allow them to stay in business through this. Maybe in the future those same employees can return.

 

I'm sure Macy and Matt will be loyal to their employees and bring them back if at all possible.  I hope they can hang in there.  If you want to keep them afloat, by their beer.  Tejano is my current favorite- a light Mexican lager perfect for summertime drinking.

[Doohickie]

What about the catering business?  Wonder how some of the eating establishments who do catering are faring?

 

There is probably more competition than before the pandemic.  For instance, I heard The Ashton Depot event hall has expanded their catering.  While big events are down, I think catering to businesses who have to work in person is probably up.  Still, probably down overall from The Before Times.

[JBB]

Event catering business is almost non-existent right now.

[eastfwther]

Im not sure if its a direct result of Covid (Im sure it didnt help), but the DMN reports that SEARS is closing the Hulen and Parks Mall stores. Only the TownEast Mall location in Mesquite remains as the only SEARS in DFW.

[John T Roberts]

I was wondering if there were going to be any Sears stores left after this round of closing.  I'm sure it won't be long before the TownEast Mall location will close. I think what Sears is doing is quietly going out of business without making announcements.

[Doohickie]

Fudruckers is closing 6 of 11 DFW locations including Cityview.

[elpingüino]

Luke Ranker has a very good, very comprehensive article about downtown Fort Worth trying to bounce back from COVID. https://www.star-tel...e244630747.html

Earth Bones, Retro Cowboy, and the gift store in the Sid Richardson Museum (all have the same owner) are closed or closing.

[txbornviking]

Luke Ranker has a very good, very comprehensive article about downtown Fort Worth trying to bounce back from COVID. https://www.star-tel...e244630747.html

Earth Bones, Retro Cowboy, and the gift store in the Sid Richardson Museum (all have the same owner) are closed or closing.

 

friends, there's a lot that can be said about the Star-T, but it's worth your subscription money.

 

The work of "young guns" Luke Ranker, Nichole Manna, Kailey Brousard is absolutely worth it

[Austin55]

Winehaus is gone.

[John T Roberts]

I hate to be a pessimist, but I'm beginning to think that most of our retail areas will look like ghost towns by the time the pandemic is over. 

[bclaridge]

I hate to be a pessimist, but I'm beginning to think that most of our retail areas will look like ghost towns by the time the pandemic is over. 

That's what I am concerned about, as well.  I suspect non-essential retail will take some time to recover to pre-pandemic levels, if online shopping does not supplant it.  Some people do enjoy in-store experiences, and once social distancing measures can be safely lifted, I do think some people will return.  For things like fashion retailers, the quality of the in-store experience will be key (not to mention the quality of the product), but I don't think that will be enough. 

Shopping malls, in particular, will need to diversify their offerings beyond their heavy focus on fashion retail and entertainment if they hope to survive.  Unlike US shopping malls, British and Australian shopping malls often include some degree of "essential" retail inside; for instance, it is not out of the question to see a supermarket as an anchor store, which is something practically unheard of in the US with respect to traditional indoor malls.  Turning malls into "one-stop shops" could be useful in the future, but online shopping will always offer a far larger selection than in-person shopping ever can (Amazon first rendered the bookstore obsolete, now they are seemingly doing the same to other types of retailers).  Some people are impatient, and want to buy something sooner than shipping can deliver; the "I want it now" consumer could be the shopping mall's best friend in an era of online shopping.  Malls should also consider adding more innovative entertainment offerings (thinking outside the movie theater/arcade/etc. box), not to mention what I have said about focusing on a positive in-store experience.

[John T Roberts]

Believe it or not, but Seminary South (a.k.a. Fort Worth Town Center/La Gran Plaza) when it opened in 1962 was almost a one-stop shopping center.  I realize it was open air, and not enclosed, but it had 2 department store anchors (2 more were added later), a grocery store, drug store, furniture store, bowling alley, movie theater, 2 auto centers, full service restaurants, meeting rooms, a radio station, several other services, and an office building.  The only thing it didn't have was a residential component.  I hope that I didn't derail this thread.  That was not my intention.

[eastfwther]

Well, there goes Steinmart

 

Article says the chain has  filed for bankruptcy and will close most, if not all, of its stores.  I don't buy clothes there, but there's a company that makes wonderful bedspreads and stylish quilts ( I hate comforters)  that I've bought from Steinmart for years. 

 

Article also said the chain declared months ago that it may not survive the pandemic. 

 

https://www.dallasne...all-its-stores/

[JBB]

The $20 hotel quality sheets are the only thing I ever buy at Steinmart.  I've had sets from there last for years.

[eastfwther]

The $20 hotel quality sheets are the only thing I ever buy at Steinmart.  I've had sets from there last for years.

I believe I have some too.  Their bedding department is really good.