Some long-standing restaurants are being forced to close as a result of rising rent costs as the Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant industry continues to grow.
On Wednesday, Meddlesome Moth permanently closed its doors after 15 years of customer service. From the three well-known stained-glass windows that were originally part of the Hard Rock Cafe to the Texas-themed artwork in every nook and cranny, owner Shannon Wynne created every inch of the establishment.
This farewell is personal to him.
Wynne remarked, “Oh, we will miss it terribly,” though. “But I think we’ve done a lot to develop this area.”
An innovator in the Design District of Dallas
According to Wynne, Meddlesome Moth was the first eatery to open in Dallas’ Design District, opening the door for the neighborhood’s expansion.
“I think that my satisfaction comes from the fact that when we opened, everybody told me it was a dangerous area and nobody would come,” Wynne stated. “I’ve lived here my entire life. I knew it was going to be fine.”
Wynne claimed that despite its success, it was unable to stay open due to rapidly rising rent.
“In order for us to have stayed here, we would have had to raise prices 20%,” Wynne stated. “When they raised the rent so much that we couldn’t afford it, we knew it was time to go.”
Similar difficulties are being faced by other eateries.
Meddlesome Moth is just one of several eateries that have closed. After 20 years, Fernando’s Tex-Mex closed both locations in April, claiming they couldn’t come to a lease agreement. Due to rent increases, Trompo, a popular taco restaurant in East Dallas, also closed last year.
Long-time operators are being forced out by the city’s thriving food scene, according to restaurant real estate expert Andy Anderson of Restaurant Properties Group.
“I think we have the most competitive restaurant market in the United States,” Anderson stated. “Growth and demand definitely drive prices higher. Many local favorites are being squeezed out by operators with deeper pockets.”
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Given that rental prices are predicted to keep rising, Anderson counsels restaurant owners to sign long-term leases.
Chef Chad Kelly returned to Meddlesome Moth to bid farewell to the establishment that gave him his first job as customers finished their last meals there.
“Oh, so many emotions, so many different things, you know—kind of disbelief. It has been such a great run,” Kelly stated.
Wynne, who continues to run a number of eateries throughout North Texas, stated that Meddlesome Moth will always have a particular place in his heart.
“It’s a bittersweet thing, but we’re happy to let somebody else come in and try to make their mark,” Wynne stated.
