Restaurant business

Southlake-based Cotton Patch Cafe scooped up by Dallas restaurant group

Chicken fried steak, CFS, Cotton Patch Cafe

Chicken fried steak at Cotton Patch Cafe.

Facebook/Cotton Patch Cafe

The Southlake-based Cotton Patch Cafe restaurant chain, known for its Texas-style comfort food, is finding comfort in the form of a new owner from Dallas.

According to a release, Dallas-based Local Favorite Restaurants group purchased Cotton Patch Cafe from Altamont Capital Partners. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Local Favorite's growing restaurant portfolio includes 99 restaurants spanning 10 brands, including well-known names like El Fenix Mexican Restaurant, Snuffer’s Restaurant & Bar, Meso Maya, Taqueria La Ventana, Wok Star Chinese, Twisted Root Burger Company, Campuzano Mexican Food, and Village Burger Bar.

The Cotton Patch acquisition “is an important step for Local Favorite Restaurants and a natural fit for the kind of brands we want under our roof,” Local Favorite founder Mike Karns says in the release. “Cotton Patch Cafe has loyal guests, a proven track record, and a Texas identity that gives it meaningful room to grow.”

Founded in 1989 in Nacogdoches, Cotton Patch operates 46 restaurants in Texas and New Mexico. In DFW, there are locations in Arlington, Burleson, Cedar Hill, Garland, Grapevine, Irving, Lake Worth, North Richland Hills, and Watauga.

The deal also brings changes to the leadership team.

Karns will remain with the company in the role of founder and "Free-Range Creative," overseeing its creative direction and growth strategy. Cotton Patch Cafe CEO Brandon Coleman III will become CEO of Local Favorite Restaurants.

Local Favorite also owns and operates Sunrise Mexican Foods, which produces chips, tortillas and other Mexican food products for retail and foodservice operators.

Cotton Patch Cafe is known for scratch-made, comfort classics like hand-breaded chicken fried steak, along with $9.99 Texas Value Meals.

Coleman says the acquisition won’t result in changes to the “heart” of Cotton Patch.

“We will continue to bring the small-town spirit, big Texas value, and quality scratch-made food guests count on, with the same focus on hospitality and community that has always made Cotton Patch feel like home,” says Coleman.

chicken fried steak business restaurants

Restaurant closure

Fort Worth's La Playa Maya to close longtime Stockyards location

Facebook/La Playa Maya

La Playa Maya' Stockyards location will close July 5.

A favorite Fort Worth Mexican restaurant is saying goodbye to a longtime location: La Playa Maya will close its doors for good at 1540 N. Main St., in the historic Stockyards district.

According to the owners, the final day of service will be Sunday, July 5.

"After careful thought and consideration, our family has made the difficult decision to close our Stockyards location of La Playa Maya," the restaurant posted on Facebook on June 30.

La Playa Maya is owned by Lupe and Letty Ayala, whose father founded the first restaurant in 1988. They've had a location on the city's north side since 1988, first at a smaller building on Central Avenue, then in its current historic two-story building on North Main.

La Playa Maya (translation: "The Mayan Beach") is known for its Mexican seafood dishes - specifically its Mexican seafood cocktail and ceviches - along with surf-and-turf entrees and Mexican standards like enchiladas and taco salads.

The North Main location became a go-to for couples, groups, and girls' nights before heading to Billy Bob's Texas or other Stockyards venues. Even when newer, trendier restaurants had long waits, La Playa Maya remained a reliable spot for Mexican food and margaritas.

Three other locations - Westside (on Sunset Drive, near Camp Bowie Boulevard), Southside (on Hemphill Street), and Hudson Oaks - will remain open.

"We want to thank the many families and friends who have entrusted us to host your celebrations and meals," the family says in the goodbye post. "It has been our honor to share special moments and milestones with your families.

"Thank you as always for the support of the business our father founded so many years ago. We look forward to seeing another business thrive at this location in the future."

CultureMap has reached out to the owners for further information.

stockyards mexican food tex-mex closure restaurant closures closings