201 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

I thought about starting this thread a couple of weeks ago, but since the permanent closings are starting to occur more frequently now, I thought I would start this discussion here.  It could be broken up into specific forums only dealing with the type of business, but I wanted to have a catch-all thread.  I also realize that the names of the businesses could have another post in another thread, but that's OK.  The list could be a local business, like a mom & pop store, national chain, restaurant, or any other that has closed and given their reason as the Covid-19, or is a result of them closing down temporarily, and then not re-opening.  To keep this list current, please list businesses that we have already discussed.

 

The latest one that I have is Hoffbrau Steaks on University Drive.  Bud Kennedy already has an article online with the Star-Telegram. 

 

https://www.star-tel...e242621901.html

 

Hoffbrau could not renegotiate their lease during the crisis.  The building is also a reminder of days gone by.  It was the only remaining building standing from the old 1849 Village (shopping center, built in 1969).  From the Eats Beat article, Hoffbrau opened in 1982, which means they were also the only business that was once in 1849 Village when it was a shopping center/entertainment center, that was still in business at that location.  Hoffbrau was not an original tenant.  According to Bud Kennedy, the building was originally a Maxiburger, and later a Crown Galleries Gift Showroom.  I liked their patio and they had great burgers.  Their steaks were not bad for mid-price and we would sometimes stop over there for a meal after a bicycle ride.  I am glad that they are still in the area with their new location in Benbrook.  I have eaten there and the food was good with a nice atmosphere.

 

 

[JBB]

I could have sworn that Ninfas was in the current Hoffbrau building at some point. Like late 90s.

[roverone]

Trying to look for old addresses, it looks like Ninfas was a little north, perhaps where the Staples building is.

[BlueMound]

Nordstrom’s at North East Mall

[John T Roberts]

For the record, Staples was built where Ninfa's was located.  Going way back, Ninfa's remodeled and expanded the old Carlson's Drive-In.  It's nice to recollect on things, but I would like to keep this thread on topic.

[johnfwd]

I read an article the other day that buffets may be gone, perhaps forever.  Prior to the pandemic, buffets were already suspected of transmitting illnesses.  And, as we observed, the overhead plastic or glass canopy was supposed to help prevent contagion.

 

With the buffet gone, will that end restaurants that do this as their sole means of in-door dining (e.g. Terra Mediterranean Grill)?  Of will restaurants just get rid of the buffets and go back solely to table service?  

[eastfwther]

[quote name="johnfwd" post="126196" timestamp="1589122628
 
With the buffet gone, will that end restaurants that do this as their sole means of in-door dining (e.g. Terra Mediterranean Grill)?  Of will restaurants just get rid of the buffets and go back solely to table service?  [/quote]


Buffets can survive if there are workers behind the buffet to put the food onto your plate. That way, the public doesnt touch the serving utensils. I was watching the news and a representative from one of the hotel chains said this is what they were going to try.

[ramjet]

I suppose this thread was inevitable.  Here in Austin, longtime icons like Threadgill's, Magnolia Café, and Shady Grove are already gone forever.  But I am impressed with the flexible, the entrepreneurs, and the visionaries who are standing strong and will rise up from these ashes across Texas and across the world and create the new world.  I know there are many of those in Fort Worth, too, who will survive and even thrive.  I hope their successes will be as noted, if not more so, than those entities that didn't make it.  The 1918 Spanish flu, as well as other pandemics in the 20th and 21st century, came and went.  Life goes on...

[eastfwther]

Bealls/Palais Royal/Stage stores declare Chapter 11. They have lots of locations in smaller towns and suburbs around here. I used to shop at Palais Royal in Houston when I was a kid.

https://www.dallasne...for-bankruptcy/

[johnfwd]

Bealls/Palais Royal/Stage stores declare Chapter 11. They have lots of locations in smaller towns and suburbs around here. I used to shop at Palais Royal in Houston when I was a kid.

https://www.dallasne...for-bankruptcy/

Added to this business are a number of brands that may go by the wayside, among them Neiman Marcus and JC Penney, as shown in this slide show produced in an MSN website.  They also include AMC Theaters, unless they can re-open to full capacity.

 

https://www.msn.com/...B13OnAr#image=2

[JBB]

Buffets can survive if there are workers behind the buffet to put the food onto your plate. That way, the public doesnt touch the serving utensils. I was watching the news and a representative from one of the hotel chains said this is what they were going to try.

 

Pancho's was clearly ahead of the curve on this. 

 

Not in Fort Worth, but I read earlier this week that the Highland Park Cafeteria is closing permanently.

[JBB]

I've read elsewhere that Pizzeria Uno downtown may be the latest casualty.  Chain and probably far from the best in their genre, yes.  But if my last visit in early March on a Saturday night with more than a 1 hour wait was any indication, it was a still a safe, popular option for families (wasn't my choice, but we were with a large group with a lot of kids).  Plus it was a very long time fixture downtown.  I think it was an original Sundance West tenant which would put it at nearly 30 years.

[John T Roberts]

JBB, you are correct.  It was one of the original tenants in Sundance West.

[george84]

When I was a kid I used to love Unos, then all the locations in Houston closed. When I moved here I was excited to go again, and it was ok but the last couple of times it didnt seem like the quality was great. Hopefully something better takes the spot.

[Austin55]

Bird Cafe just announced closing

[JBB]

That makes sense after Brian Olenjack's departure as chef was announced last week.

[John T Roberts]

It looks like Sundance Square may have a lot of vacancies after Covid-19.

[ramjet]

Bird Cafe just announced closing

That is super sad.  I loved that restaurant.  I hope there are people who are sitting on cash waiting out this crisis who will see opportunity when the time is right and swoop in to replace those places that unfortunately didn't make it. 

[JBB]

The Uno report may have been premature.  Still listed on their website and the S-T article about Bird Cafe summarized restaurant closings and didn't mention it.

[roverone]

I expect there is not just a single ultimate reason for these places to close: some might have already been weak, some might not have a reserve or access to credit resources for the immediate crises, but another possibility that is perhaps the most concerning: and that is that they have looked at the future and found it just cannot be profitable enough for a good amount of time into the future.  I think about this from the message about about people sitting on cash waiting to swoop in and replace and you have to wonder if they were waiting for that, why not just charge up the non-weak places at the right time.  I guess I'm just saying that I don't know that we can count on money flowing into new things, if even popular busy current things that have a process and customer base can't make it work.

 

I don't want to derail this thread which is to list the places, but it is worthwhile considering what is behind each of their closings and what it would have had to have been like for them not to make those final decisions.

[Austin55]

The restaurants had underlying conditions.

[johnfwd]

Here's an updated CNBC.com news story on J.C. Penney filing for bankruptcy.  

 

https://www.cnbc.com...e-next-day.html

 

Noteworthy quote in that same article suggests the pandemic was the straw the broke the camel's back:

 

In filing for bankruptcy, J.C. Penney will join fellow department stores Neiman Marcus and Stage Stores as victims of the pandemic, which has forced their doors shut but whose ailments far predated the virus. Department stores have struggled to maintain a foothold in U.S. retail, as brands sidestepped them by selling to shoppers directly, and shoppers have abandoned the mall in which many are based.

[JBB]

The restaurants had underlying conditions.

 

 

which has forced their doors shut but whose ailments far predated the virus

 

As unprecedented as this crisis is, a lot of the dominoes falling thus far were on shaky ground to begin with.

[John T Roberts]

JCPenney filed for bankruptcy.  I heard it on the news on my way home from work.

 

https://dfw.cbslocal...les-bankruptcy/

[renamerusk]

It may be splitting hairs, but if the pandemic can be blamed for the demise of JCP, then why can't it be claimed in retrospect that Pier 1 and Radio Shack are victims too.

 

I believe it is fair to say that brick and mortar retail was back on it heels; and the pandemic simply ushered in the final blow.  A lot of companies have been weakened by our online economy; now in their weaken state, they are tossing over board excess baggage.

[eastfwther]

According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas-based Tuesday Morning is also mulling a bankruptcy filing, possibly liquidation. Ive seen these stores around, but have never been in one and had no idea what they sold.

[John T Roberts]

Here are a few more details on the JCPenney Bankruptcy.  J.C. Penney will close almost 30% of its 846 stores as part of a restructuring under bankruptcy protection. They plan to close about 192 stores by February 2021, and then 50 additional stores in the year after that.

[renamerusk]

It looks like Sundance Square may have a lot of vacancies after Covid-19.

This simply reinforces the suggestion that I called for before this pandemic was even on the radar.  SS has to really come up with a major development, lease a top notch destination retail entity, that will generate the foot traffic that will support new small start up businesses.  I believe that Downtown can become a retail and tourism center.  I think that as a office center, it will struggle as office space will take a big hit as the nature of the workplace and where work is perform evolves post pandemic.

[ramjet]

 

It looks like Sundance Square may have a lot of vacancies after Covid-19.

This simply reinforces the suggestion that I called for before this pandemic was even on the radar.  SS has to really come up with a major development, lease a top notch destination retail entity, that will generate the foot traffic that will support new small start up businesses.  I believe that Downtown can become a retail and tourism center.  I think that as a office center, it will struggle as office space will take a big hit as the nature of the workplace and where work is perform evolves post pandemic.

 

I'm trying to brainstorm what a destination retail stop downtown would be.  I think that Neiman Marcus has the Texas legend vibe that visitors would want.  Where do rich cowboys and ranchers shop?  Or would this be an opportunity for a clever entrepreneur to start something new?  A Leddy's/N-M mash-up?  What may be cool about this whole pandemic disaster is the new world it will ultimately produce.  (Must admit, I'm sure you've figured by now, I'm an American optimist.)

[Doohickie]

According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas-based Tuesday Morning is also mulling a bankruptcy filing, possibly liquidation. Ive seen these stores around, but have never been in one and had no idea what they sold.

Basically it's housewares and stuff.  I don't know if this is true but I thought they would buy overstocks of higher end merchandise.  The name of the store comes from the fact that that's when they get their new stuff in.  Again, I can't say if that's really accurate but I think I heard it along the way.

[John T Roberts]

Pier 1 Imports has announced that it will be opening up a few stores soon to start a final liquidation sale.  After the inventory is sold off, the chain will cease business operations.  It appears that the pandemic gave Pier 1 the final blow, even though the same result may have come about without the pandemic.

[gdvanc]

Its a shame for a number of reasons from loss of jobs to the loss of one of the few Fort Worth-based nationally-recognized companies. (Although certainly not as recognized as they once were.) On the other hand, theyve been on life support for a while and they clearly were never going to recover. There are a lot of retail lessons in their story.

[JBB]

According to the S-T, Fred's on Bluebonnet Circle will not reopen.  The Western Center location reopened a few weeks ago and the Currie location is set to reopen soon.

 

I preferred the Bluebonnet location, but even though it had steady business, it was never as crowded as the Currie location.

[John T Roberts]

JBB, I think your comments about the Blue Bonnet Circle location are interesting.  I did notice that it never was as crowded as the Currie Street location, but I also didn't think the food was as good.  I will admit that once it was open, I did go there more than the Currie Street location, mainly because it was closer to my house and there weren't any parking issues.  One of the events from my 40th High School Reunion from Paschal was there, mainly because many of us frequented the Oui Lounge back in 1976.

[JBB]

I never had an issue with the food there, but on my last lunch visit at the beginning of March, the service was painfully slow because they only had one server covering the whole dining room.  I always wondered if the University location wasn't their backup in case they were pushed or bought out of the Currie location.

[John T Roberts]

JBB, I had the same question.

[Doohickie]

According to the S-T, Fred's on Bluebonnet Circle will not reopen.  The Western Center location reopened a few weeks ago and the Currie location is set to reopen soon.

 

I preferred the Bluebonnet location, but even though it had steady business, it was never as crowded as the Currie location.

Bluebonnet is much closer to my house but I always preferred the original on Currie.

[JBB]

"Preferred" probably wasn't the right word.  I enjoy the Currie location, but Bluebonnet was closer to work and usually more convenient when it came to parking.

[John T Roberts]

Add Rusty Taco on Blue Bonnet Circle to the list.  Now there will be two large vacancies on the circle!

[george84]

I just read an article linked from Bud Kennedys twitter page about a new ghost restaurant that just opened on Camp Bowie. A takeout and delivery only place with lower overhead. Sounds delicious, its a Japanese place with ramen and sushi owned by the guy that started Oni Ramen and was the chef at Little Lily for a while. It will be interesting to see if this will catch on as a restaurant trend because of the pandemic.

[Doohickie]

Add Rusty Taco on Blue Bonnet Circle to the list.  Now there will be two large vacancies on the circle!

Three. Fred's, Greenwood's, R Taco

[ramjet]

I just read an article linked from Bud Kennedys twitter page about a new ghost restaurant that just opened on Camp Bowie. A takeout and delivery only place with lower overhead. Sounds delicious, its a Japanese place with ramen and sushi owned by the guy that started Oni Ramen and was the chef at Little Lily for a while. It will be interesting to see if this will catch on as a restaurant trend because of the pandemic.

I love the stories like this one of the creative entrepreneurs who innovate in the new market.  I hope the "ghost restaurant" makes it big time.  

[John T Roberts]

Twigs American Kitchen in Clearfork is now a victim of the pandemic.  Below is a link to Fort Worth Magazine's article:

 

https://fwtx.com/eat...oses-its-doors/

[youngalum]

Twigs American Kitchen in Clearfork is now a victim of the pandemic.  Below is a link to Fort Worth Magazine's article:

 

https://fwtx.com/eat...oses-its-doors/

Twigs was nothing more than a glorified bad hotel restaurant in a nice space.  If not for Clearfork address the place would have failed many, many months ago. I predicted this back when it first opened. 

[Austin55]

I've heard Cantina Laredo has bit the bullet but not seen it reported anywhere.

[elpingüino]

Fort Worth is no longer listed on its locations page, https://www.cantinal...ns/?state=Texas

[george84]

Downtown restaurants are probably suffering the most, with so many working from home. When my company does go back to the office (I work in Coppell), Ill be curious to see how many of the lunch places around us will be gone. The area is mainly offices and all the restaurants rely on lunch crowds for sure.

[John T Roberts]

Cantina Laredo's closing has been mentioned now in the Star-Telegram.

[ramjet]

Cantina Laredo in downtown Austin closed a while ago.  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.

[renamerusk]

The local eateries is where it is at and has always been.  What always concerns me is when local eateries behave as though they are a chain.  It just me, but I think multiple locations waters down your product because food quality is a personal, on-hand production.