Nearly three years after an explosion destroyed the Sandman Signature Hotel at 810 Houston St. in downtown Fort Worth, the hotel's high-profile Asian restaurant, Musume, is set to reopen in early November 2026.
"Following a nearly three-year rebuild after the January 2024 hotel explosion, the contemporary Japanese concept is being completely reimagined with a sleek, bright modern design, fresh sushi flown in daily from Japan, new chef-driven dishes, and new executive chef leading the kitchen," a spokesperson for the restaurant tells CultureMap.
Chef Chris Conlon, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, whose resume includes the Hakkasan Group and Charlie Palmer's Aureole, will serve as executive chef.
The food and beverage program at the Asian fusion-sushi restaurant will include fresh flown-in sushi and sashimi; a nine-course omakase experience; new Fort Worth-exclusive dishes; and the city’s largest sake (120+ labels) and Japanese whisky (60+ offerings) collections, the restaurant says.
A modern redesign of the 5,000-square foot space will feature warm wood millwork, custom murals, a new Italian marble lobby lounge, and the return of the intact historic bank vault/tatami room.
And, in happy employment news, more than 90 percent of Musume’s original Fort Worth staff is returning, the spokesperson says.
"This reopening is deeply personal for our entire team," say Josh Babb and Sean Clavir, co-owners of Musume. "When we first brought Musume to Fort Worth, we fell in love with the city's energy and the warmth of its community. To open our doors once again with a transformed space, elevated offerings, and — most importantly — over 90 percent of our original staff returning to work alongside us is something truly special.
"We had a sense of unfinished business, and we could not be more excited to welcome Fort Worth back to Musume.”
Musume, which means “daughter” in Japanese, is part of the Rock Libations restaurant group (ChopShop). The first location opened in Dallas' Arts District in 2018. Its menu includes sushi, sashimi, and Asian cuisine in small and large plates, vegetarian and vegan, salads, tempura, tableside ramen noodles, and six- or eight-course omakase.
Hotel explosion
Downtown Fort Worth was rocked by a massive explosion at the W.T. Waggoner Building on January 8, 2024, blowing out the two bottom floors and causing injuries to 21 people.
The building had been recently remodeled as the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel, which opened in March 2023. The hotel was also home to Musume; it was not open at the time of the explosion. Three employees were injured and were taken to the hospital.
Sandman Hotel explosion site in January 2024. Fort Worth Fire Department
The explosion was first believed to have been caused by a natural gas leak, according to the ATF and Fort Worth Fire Department, who said that construction was taking place on a basement-level restaurant, and that a gas leak had been detected at the building but it was unclear if it was the cause of the explosion. An early investigation by Atmos Energy determined that its system was not at fault. An exact cause of the explosion was not identified, and the investigation was closed.
Massive piles of debris on the street took months to remove, and nearby businesses gradually reopened, but hotel and Musume restaurant remained closed.
The Signature Sandman Hotel's website says the hotel itself will open in 2026, though no date has been made public. "We are excited to reopen in 2026 and look forward to seeing you then," says a message on the website.
The 20-story W.T. Waggoner Building was built in 1920, and was one of the tallest buildings in the area at that time. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and prior to the hotel renovation was used as office space by XTO Energy.
