It's been a foregone conclusion for months that Pecan Lodge, Dallas' Mecca of smoked meat, would leave its perch in the downtown Dallas Farmers Market, which has been turned over to private developers apparently unmoved by the Lodge's cult following. The question, until today, was where the smoke trail would lead. The answer perhaps should have been obvious all along: Deep Ellum.
See also: How Dallas Killed Farmers Markets
Owners and founders Diane and Justin Fourton announced this morning that Pecan Lodge will move to that neighborhood, into a space being developed by Scott Rohrman of 42 Real Estate.
They don't say when or where specifically, but D magazine reported that the space is on Main Street. We'll pass along more details when we have them, but for now we'll just thanks the Meat Gods that they're staying in central Dallas and pray to those same Gods for one small favor: lots and lots of parking.
Here's the letter from the Fourtons:
Justin and I are pleased to announce our decision to stay in Dallas and relocate Pecan Lodge to Deep Ellum.It has been a privilege to be part of the community of independent growers, farmers and small business owners at the Dallas Farmers Market, and we will always treasure our experience there. However, after careful thought and consideration, we believe a separate location of our own will best meet the needs of our customers and our growing business. We are very grateful to the Dallas Farmers Market for providing a foundation upon which a tiny, independently-owned business could grow and thrive for more than 3 ½ years.
Deep Ellum offers a unique opportunity for us to accomplish our goals for Pecan Lodge while also being part of an exciting community revitalization project, lead by Scott Rohrman of 42 Real Estate. We believe in Scott's vision for Deep Ellum and look forward to helping restore this amazing, historic neighborhood in Dallas.
Construction on the new location will begin soon. Until construction is complete, Pecan Lodge will remain open at the Dallas Farmers Market, operating under normal business hours (ok, normal for us), Wed-Sun, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm or until we sell out.
We will continue to share more specific details about our progress and transition plans as they become available.
