More Restaurants Close and Open Amid the Pandemic

Estimates are ranging for what COVID-19’s long-term effect will be on restaurants in Dallas, the state and the country. Messages have come through asking if we’ve heard people talking about one in four restaurants closing. One analyst predicts 10% of restaurants nationwide will close.

It may be hard to have answers when there’s no end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic.

For now, we’re watching as entrepreneurs work to open new places despite challenges, people make takeout work and others shut doors.

Here's an update on some restaurants that have closed and some that plan to open in Dallas:

Lakewood's Penne Pomodoro has closed after 11 years of service. It's safe to say many East Dallas residents will miss the simple pasta dishes that served as comfort food for more than a decade.

Another big one for a neighborhood in central Dallas is Christies Sports Bar and Grill. This writer can't remember a time when this laid-back, comfortable spot in Uptown wasn't there. Their announcement did mention that it was both the pandemic and an issue with their landlord that led them to this decision:


Feed Company closed in the Lowest Greenville in what feels like a lifetime ago (early 2020) and the folks behind HG Sply Co. already had Standard Service planned to take its place. Half a pandemic-ruled year later, it's finally open.

A new vegan bakery is opening today in McKinney: Cinnaholic has gourmet cinnamon rolls and other treats to maintain our quarantine weights, but they're all plant-based. This is the third location in Dallas-Fort Worth for the California-based company.

Tarantino’s Cicchetti Bar & Record Lounge has opened in Exposition Park in South Dallas. It's Round 2 for the owner, who had the space in the 1990s.

Chef Matt Balke is returning to the neighborhood spot of the former Bolsa restaurant, this time for a new one: Encina.

The restaurant is planned to be “a warm and inviting neighborhood restaurant planning to offer New American cuisine, cocktails, wine and beer with influences from Texas, California and the South, will open later this summer/early fall for dinner and weekend brunch.”