According to a press release, the decision stems from the sale of the building to a new owner.
Elegant but perhaps dated, Lawry's holds a special place in many Dallas diners' hearts, either for the classic retro-sheen, work lunches with those iconic prime rib dip sandwiches at the bar or gluttonous expensed dinners.
Lawry's has a 100-year history in the restaurant business. The company was founded by Lawrence L. Frank and Walter Van de Kamp in 1938 in Beverly Hills, and subsequently expanded with locations in Las Vegas, Texas and California.
Before opening a prime rib restaurant, the founders had a successful restaurant, Tam O'Shanter Inn in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, which opened in 1922 and is still operating. Their experience with the Scottish pub gave way to the creation of a unique style of restaurant that at the time was groundbreaking. While Lawry's is renowned for its on-point hospitality, some also claim it brought several high-end standards to the restaurant industry: valet parking, doggie bags, a salad before dinner and servers introducing themselves at the table.
Wow. It's crazy to think that at some point a restaurateur had this conversation: "What if we park their cars for them?"
And, of course, there's the famous seasoned salt that adorns many spice racks.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Lawry’s in Dallas,” said Ryan O’Melveny Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Restaurants Inc. “We want to sincerely thank the Dallas community and our dedicated staff for its outpouring of support throughout the last four decades.”
While Lawry's is out in Dallas (come March), the restaurant group is still expanding elsewhere. O’Melveny Wilson says the brand is directing "efforts on domestic and international expansion."
You have through March to stop by the Dallas location.
Lawry's, 14655 Dallas Parkway. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5–8 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 5–8 p.m.
