Closing Time

Fort Worth suffers spate of mysterious restaurant closures

Changes are happening in Fort Worth's restaurant world.

Photo courtesy of Americado

In an odd turn of events, a trio of restaurants in Fort Worth are closing, while another is vacating a longtime space for a new location. The upheaval comes at a mysterious time since holidays are approaching, and that is generally the best time of the year for restaurants.

Americado. This restaurant-food hall combination was an unusual concept that opened in April, serving Mexican street food in a Mexico-City street hall format. The initial ordering system was confusing, and the concept saw some chef upheaval, but fans liked its trompo tacos, chilaquiles, and Mexican hot chocolate made with real milk and Mexican chocolate.

Unfortunately, they didn't have enough business, and were also in a funky location. They tried to pump up the business with drink specials and a salsa night they'd recently introduced.

They announced their closure on Facebook, stating, "It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to close our doors this coming Sunday November 5. We will be taking reservations up through the 5th and we plan on celebrating with you and thanking you all in person. To all of you who planned your holiday events and parties with us after the 5th, we sincerely apologize that we won't be able to serve you."

Capital Bar. This bar and live music spot opened in the West 7th area in 2009, right before it blew up as an entertainment district, where it hosted such big-name acts as Robert Earl Keen, Charlie Robison, Radney Foster, and Robert Earl Keen.

They announced their closure on Facebook, stating, "Dear Fort Worth, it is with absolute gratitude that we say 'THANK YOU' for choosing us to serve you on all those crazy nights! But now it’s time to go." Owner Clay Mazur hinted that he'd sold out to a new concept from different owners opening in the space.

Meanwhile, they'll turn their closure into a celebration with $2.50 beers and $3.50 drinks from November 3-5.

Mamma Mia. Italian restaurant at 1000 W. Magnolia Ave. was an offshoot of the Mamma Mia on Belknap, with the same menu. It opened in 2010 in the space occupied by another Italian restaurant, Palermo's, where it served decent quality food at moderate prices. People liked its hot rolls and its BYOB status, even if the service was not so great.

Word of its closure circulated on a neighborhood page, when diners found "out of business" signs on the doors and a phone number that was disconnected; closing on the first day of a month usually indicates a rent or lease change. The Facebook page has been shut down, although the Belknap branch is still open.

St. Emilion. In 2018, Fort Worth's vintage French country bistro will move into the space previously occupied by Le Cep, which closed in September. According to an email sent out to the restaurant's mailing list, the original space needs repairs that will take six weeks, and the Le Cep location was not only available but has more room. Owner Bernard Tronche may also open another concept in the original space. St. Emilion has been open for 33 years.

closings

Chef News

Fort Worth's Will Rogers Memorial Center welcomes bright new chef

FortWorthtx.gov

Will Rogers Memorial Center

There's a new chef in town: Waylon Cornelius, named executive chef of catering and concessions for Craft Culinary Concepts, the food and beverage provider at Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Will Rogers Memorial Center is the 120-acre entertainment complex anchoring Fort Worth’s Cultural District, owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth. Cornelius will oversee menus for trade shows and other events at the center which bring in more than 2 million visitors a year.

Craft Culinary Concepts is headquartered in Glendale, Arizona, and manages food and beverage programs for entertainment, sports and cultural facilities.

Chef Waylon Corneliusfortworthtx.gov

According to a release, Cornelius joined the team this summer and is already shifting the expectations of guests from a typical “BBQ and beans” menu to a bill of fare satisfying every kind of palate.

“We always have fajitas ready to go, but we also make a beautiful Beef Wellington or baked salmon with a pink salt crust,” Cornelius says in a statement.

For consumer trade shows, Craft and its partners Caribou and Taco Heads offer more choices for the thousands of guests who attend events at WRMC annually.

“Some of our equestrian guests are away from home and here for several days, and they need more than popcorn and hot dogs,” Cornelius says. “Our concessions offer biscuits and gravy, burritos made in-house, strawberry salad, fruit and yogurt cups.”

A native of Mansfield, Cornelius grew up helping in a farm-to-table kitchen. He was raised on a farm with his mother, grandmother, and grandfather -- a Vietnam veteran who enjoyed vegetable gardens and raising hogs and chickens. He studied computer science after high school and holds an associate's degree in Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis from Tarrant County College.

He's a 2003 graduate of AIMS Academy of Culinary Arts in Dallas where he was mentored by a number of great chefs. While training as assistant executive sous chef at the AAA four-diamond Grand Hyatt DFW, he worked with Executive Chef Sutti Sripolpa, chef Eric Dreyer (who went on to be Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef), and Chef Jean-Claude Plihon, under whom he honed his French cooking skills.

As executive sous chef at the opening of Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille in Southlake, Cornelius gained expertise with volume. While at HG Sply Co., he learned about gluten-free items and other food allergies.

HG Sply is also where he crossed paths with Chef James R. Schell III, Craft’s general manager at WRMC, who recruited Cornelius to the complex.

"James said he needed someone who can hit moving targets, push the culinary team to be more avant-garde and use locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, so here I am," Cornelius says. "Culinary is a small world."

“I want people to say, ‘When we were in Fort Worth, you won’t believe what we got at Will Rogers!’” Schell says. “Even the celebrities who perform [in the auditorium] are surprised. When Chicago played here recently and we served dinner backstage, they said they felt treated like the Rolling Stones.”

chefs