Sol's Nieto on Mockingbird Closes; Like it Or Not, That Yelp Rating Couldn't Have Helped

News broke yesterday that Sol's Nieto Mexican Grill at Mockingbird and Abrams closed. Gubbins got the scoop from manager Blanca Perez: "The landlords refused to make any kind of deal with us, so there is nothing we can do. After 10 years, it's heart-breaking for us to go down this...

By Lauren Drewes Daniels

November 29, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

News broke yesterday that Sol's Nieto Mexican Grill at Mockingbird and Abrams closed. Gubbins got the scoop from manager Blanca Perez: "The landlords refused to make any kind of deal with us, so there is nothing we can do. After 10 years, it's heart-breaking for us to go down this way."

Landlords ... Getting locked out ... Another victim of the economy? Or might it had to do with Sol's Nieto abysmal two-star average on Yelp? Previously we've debated the pendulum swing of influence that Yelp can have. When a place continually gets lambasted in social media, it never seems to pan out well.

Recently Michael Luca of Harvard Business School published a study about the effects of Yelp and determined that a one-star increase on the site can create up to a 9 percent increase in revenue.

Does 9 percent help cover rent? Absolutely.

Love it or hate it, social media reviews (among many other things) impact business.

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Lauren Drewes Daniels is the food editor of the Dallas Observer. She started working as a freelance writer in 2013 and became editor in 2021. She covers Dallas' evolving dining scene, the many openings and closings as well as trends and breaking news. She oversees annual lists including Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants and contributes to the Best of Dallas. If you have a tip about an amazing pastry, pie or taco, let her know.

Contact: Lauren Drewes Daniels

Follow:

Facebook: cityofate

Instagram: @lbd1975