Deep Ellum Bar and Restaurant IdleRye Calls It Quits

After a year and a half in business, Deep Ellum bar and restaurant IdleRye has closed, according to a sign on the front door.

IdleRye opened in May 2017 and billed itself as a "modern American" restaurant with a twist — owners Ray Skradzinski's Polish heritage and brothers Bruce and Daniel Wills' Louisiana upbringing, which both heavily influenced the menu. We often raved about IdleRye's take on pierogies, an oft-overlooked dish in DFW, its hedonistic brunch menu and interesting cocktail program. But in a neighborhood with high rents and steep competition, IdleRye apparently couldn't make it work.

Sometime last week, the restaurant quietly closed, simply posting a "closed for business" sign on the front door. There were no mentions on social media; phone calls to the restaurant go unanswered and emails have bounced back.

"I think people ... assume that the success of the bottle service dance clubs means that everyone in Deep Ellum is rolling in money," BrainDead Brewing owner Sam Wynne posted on Facebook in an oft-shared thread about the restaurant's closure. "Let me tell you: I know more operators that aren’t doing well down here than ones that are. People see Deep Ellum on Saturday and they avoid it the rest of the week. It’s so quiet and neighborhood oriented down here during the week. You gotta go check out all the awesome things and think about how you spend your money."