The historic Fort Worth Public Market has drafted a celebrity chef to add an exciting new food & beverage operation: Wilks Development is partnering with Fort Worth Top Chef Jenna Kinard, plus her husband Micah Kinard, and Kansas City restaurateur Christian Moscoso, to bring three concepts, including an artisanal market, to the historic landmark.
According to a release, the concepts will include a fine-dining restaurant, craft cocktail bar, and market-style café inside the 15,000+ square foot facility, set to open in the fall, as follows:
- Madrone: Upscale dining destination with refined Texas flair, featuring chef’s tasting menus and private dining experiences with a focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients
- Willow: Sophisticated cocktail bar and lounge offering craft beverages, VIP experience, and a premium liquor locker program
- Public Market Café & Goods: Welcoming café and community hub featuring baked treats, coffee, and locally made products
Paying tribute to the building’s origins, the Kinards also plan to grow hydroponic produce on-site — including microgreens, herbs, and tomatoes — buttressed by products from regional farmers and makers.
Fort Worth Public MarketCourtesy rendeting
Wilks Development senior VP Jess Green says in a statement that the partnership "has been several years in the making—we’ve always known we wanted to collaborate with Jenna; we just needed the right space to match her vision and talent."
Kinard has served as chef at restaurants such as Max’s Wine Dive, Hotel Drover’s 97 West, and Jellico’s at the Westin Southlake.
In a statement, Kinard says that she and her team see it "not just as a culinary venture but as a calling—to bring people together through exceptional food, drinks, and hospitality while honoring the legacy of Fort Worth’s Public Market."
"The Public Market was once a vibrant home for countless local vendors and voices, each with a story to tell—and it brings us great joy to help carry that story forward," she says.
Renovation of the Public Market building and the adjacent active senior apartment community, The Harden, began in June 2023. The project is on track for completion in early fall 2025.