Zatar joins a string of closures in Deep Ellum, highlighting World Cup winners and losers

On Sunday, Aug. 23, Zatar will become the latest casualty in the recent string of Deep Ellum food business closures. The Lebanese restaurant and bar opened at Commerce Street and S. Malcolm X Boulevard in 2016, a couple of blocks down from Twisted Root. The news was announced via Facebook, with Zatar citing contributing factors:

“This wasn’t an easy decision. Over the last two years, we’ve fought through one challenge after another. We poured everything we had into keeping our doors open because we truly believed things would turn around. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the ongoing construction and other challenges have made it impossible for us to continue.”

Ongoing construction, of course, refers to the multiyear project on Commerce Street that has placed businesses on that block behind piles of rubble, temporary fences, and caution tape since 2024. But, looking back, closures have been rolling out steadily in Deep Ellum for the past few years, not just on Commerce Street, and not just because of construction. 

The “other challenges,” including crime and parking, are more complex. And, even so, this summer has been particularly rough. 

A string of closures, despite the World Cup

Summer closures in Deep Ellum have included Komodo (May), KANVAS (July), Amor y Queso (July), and, after 20 years, the original Twisted Root on Commerce Street (August). Now we can add Zatar (August) to the list. 

In true crime terms, the Deep Ellum closure pattern appears to have entered an “acceleration phase.” Notably, this summer also brought the World Cup to Dallas. Wasn’t that massive international sporting event supposed to have the opposite effect on local businesses? Upwards of $2 billion, in fact.

We asked the very question in May in an article titled, ‘Could be a jump start’: Will the World Cup be a lifeline for Deep Ellum this summer?

Andrew Bukowski works at Zatar and said they saw a slight bump when Egypt played in the World Cup in Dallas, but otherwise traffic was minimal, despite being a large hookah lounge popular with international travelers.

Amor y Queso owner Sarah Carlock, for one, was betting on World Cup business. She staffed up, stocked up, and reopened her snack shop at 2932 Main Street just before the games, after years of operating solely as a prep kitchen. 

“We were expecting tourist traffic in the thousands or tens of thousands,” she says. “Of course, there was a lot of media coverage. Also, the Deep Ellum Foundation was talking to business owners about what to expect and how we could better prepare our neighborhood. Everybody stocked up. I was even worried, like, ‘Am I gonna be able to restock fast enough?’”

Cut to June and July, and FIFA madness never materialized on Main Street. Carlock notes that weekdays were like a “ghost town” and that business was “100% contrary to what was expected.” Amor y Queso closed permanently on July 26.

Jeff Roberts, owner of Fibonacci Plants at 2928 Main Street, also experienced World Cup results that missed the goal by a long shot.

“We were told to plan for an onslaught of tourists. Numbers given in meetings started at 35,000 daily and went up to 100,000 on match days, with Deep Ellum being a highlighted area with proximity to the FIFA FanFest and downtown Dallas.”

— Jeff Roberts, owner of Fibonacci Plants

“We were told to plan for an onslaught of tourists,” he says. “Numbers given in meetings started at 35,000 daily and went up to 100,000 on match days, with Deep Ellum being a highlighted area with proximity to the FIFA FanFest and downtown Dallas.”

In reality, Roberts’ sales numbers from the time period reflected the “actual opposite” of this anticipated boom. 

“Summers usually trend down in sales,” he says. “The added crowds would have been a welcome boost, but they never materialized. In addition, we experienced a bigger drop in sales as locals stayed away to avoid the crowds we all expected.”

Looking back, though, Roberts is careful not to place too much responsibility on any single factor, noting that the Deep Ellum Foundation was “mainly a conduit pushing the information provided by the World Cup planning committee.” 

“The summer was rough due to FIFA if you were not a bar or touristy restaurant,” he concludes. Fibonacci Plants is still very much open for business.

Different results

Back on Commerce Street – and right in line with Roberts’ observation – Ruins owner Dan Murry reports that all sales rose as a result of the World Cup for both his Oaxacan-style club-restaurant and its sibling bar, Armoury D.E., on Elm Street. Each venue hosted events during the games.

“I think the World Cup effect was mostly driven by what kind of concept people have,” says Murry. “Some places down here that are more sports oriented crushed it, but other places just saw a mild increase in sales.”

Places like KANVA, Twisted Root and Zatar.

Murry notes that Will Call Bar and the new Queen’s Head Pub were also World Cup winners. And, of course, Terry Black’s Barbecue was flooded with tourists throughout the games, including a visit from David and Victoria Beckham.

“All in all, the World Cup was great,” Murry says. “It was nice seeing all of the new faces in the neighborhood representing their country’s clubs, and except for a few knuckleheads, everyone was super nice and brought good vibes to the ‘hood.”

Once again, Deep Ellum answers a question with another question. Remember how a split decision in soccer is resolved? Sudden death.