Dinner Service Nixed at San Salvaje Last Month

San Salvaje mysteriously canceled dinner service "some time at the end of last month" according to a spokesperson for the restaurant, who claimed the space was frequently sourced for larger corporate buyouts and smaller private evening events. Eater reported the news last week after receiving a tip from a reader that Stephen Pyles' latest creation would only serve lunch to the public for the foreseeable future. 

The dining space will be made available for private events in the evenings and will serve lunch, but only during weekdays, news that stands in contrast to the restaurant's claim that business has been steady in the evenings. I had lunch at the restaurant recently and the dining room was about half full.

Upcoming projects were also cited as a conflict for the chef, even though he's managed many simultaneous projects throughout his career. Pyles plans to re-open his flagship restaurant in the KPMG building sometime next year. That address faces the Meyerson and is in the heart of the Arts District where prospective diners will gather most evenings. San Salvaje, on the other hand, was in a bit of a dead spot on Ross Avenue downtown.

When Pyles was in the early planning stages of San Salvaje he told The Dallas Morning News, "I don't want a $1.5 million restaurant, I want a $2.5 million restaurant." While the group won't admit that sales performance was a reason for the change, it seems reasonably safe to assume he wasn't hitting those goals. He certainly won't be hitting those lofty numbers while operating as a cafe for office workers and a catered wedding space.