3 DFW mom-and-pop shops that closed this year due to rising costs
Texas restaurants and bars have been hit hard by rising rents, pricy ingredients, and dwindling attendance. These three mainstays shut down earlier this year.
It’s rough out there for Texas restaurants and bars. The Texas Restaurant Association released a new report highlighting the economic struggles the industry is having, particularly over the past quarter.
Its Q3 findings showed that 88% of Texas restaurants reported higher food costs, while 66% reported higher labor costs. Those increases are strenuous on their own. Combined with 52% of restaurants also claiming that they’re getting less traffic, it’s a bleak situation.
Tariffs have played a significant role in the struggles, too. Just about everything costs more, and items aren’t always as readily available due to lingering supply chain issues. The issues are especially damaging to independent mom-and-pop establishments, which often lack the financial cushion that large corporations have.
As a result, several businesses have been forced to close across the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year. That includes some long-standing places that were pillars in their communities. We’re looking at three that have had to shut down since May due to affordability costs.
Meddlesome Moth
Much like a moth is drawn to a light, your eyes would be drawn to the design of Meddlesome Moth. This gastropub in the Dallas Design District had Texas artwork in every corner of the building. Most notably, owner Shannon Wynne had installed three stained glass panels that he had acquired from a Hard Rock Cafe. The windows, known as The Holy Trinity, were each 13 feet tall, and every seat in the house got a good view of them. Jeff Smith, Ben James, Issac Tigrett, and Ellen Soderquist all had a hand in designing the stunning display.
Back in 2010, Wynne’s friend, Mike Ablon, was building out the Design District. When Wynne and his team saw there were no restaurants in the area, he jumped into action. Meddlesome Moth opened as a “sophisticated dining establishment” that could cater to business crowds, hungry fans after a sporting event, or a trendy spot to take a load off.
The menu featured a mix of American cuisine, including short ribs, pork chops, and burgers. However, Meddlesome Moth also dabbled in more exotic options, such as Peking duck and Thai duck wings. And management always held the shrimp and grits with jalapeño gravy in high regard as a long-standing favorite.
Meddlesome Moth was no slouch when it came to beers, either. With over 140 options on tap, guests could unwind after work or during the elaborate weekend brunch. The “World Atlas of Beer” also named Meddlesome Moth as one of the best places to have a beer.
The gastropub officially closed in May 2025. Wynne pointed to sharply increasing rent as the reason he ceased operations: “In order for us to have stayed here, we would have had to raise prices 20%. When they raised the rent so much that we couldn’t afford it, we knew it was time to go.”
Cat City Grill
Cat City Grill was a mainstay in Fort Worth for a decade and a half. Nestled on Magnolia Ave, the restaurant offered “a little bit of everything,” from steak and seafood to meatloaf and chicken-fried steak—the last two winding up becoming the restaurant’s best sellers. Martin and Denise Thompson immediately jumped into the city’s culinary scene, with Cat City Grill winning Best Restaurant awards in Fort Worth Weekly in both 2010 and 2011.
Cat City was named as an homage to Fort Worth’s nickname of “Panther City.” Martin Thompson originally partnered with restaurateur Vance Martin. The latter exited the company early, so Thompson remained the sole owner for much of Cat City’s existence. As the steakhouse gained popularity, it expanded its menu to include other items. Its brunch became legendary around Fort Worth. After all, few things can top sipping on a Bloody Mary while enjoying a crab Benedict or cinnamon French toast.
The restaurant’s last day was on September 28. Martin Thompson wondered if prices would return to more stable levels, as they had before the COVID-19 pandemic. But he didn’t have the opportunity to wait and see. He noted beef was a particular challenge for independently owned restaurants.
“Prices continue to go up,” he said shortly after announcing Cat City Grill’s closure. “As population grows, demand grows. But chicken, beef, all the main staples, butter, all those commodities are going to continue to go up.”
Though Thompson closed his restaurant, he believes mom-and-pop restaurants can still survive in general. However, they need the community’s help.
“Support local, support local. Small, independent restaurant owners need your support.”
Elaine’s Kitchen
For nearly 40 years, Elaine’s Kitchen served up quality Jamaican dishes to South Dallas residents and visitors alike. Elaine Patricia Campbell, affectionately known as Mama Elaine, founded the restaurant in 1987. She had come from Jamaica and wanted to introduce her favorite meals to the Lone Star State.
The restaurant moved down Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in 2008 and remained a South Dallas staple throughout its existence. Mama Elaine died in 2023. Her nephew, Matthew Graham, had grown up in the restaurant and assumed operating duties, though he admitted it was tough.
“I’ve been running it and holding it down for two years. It’s like a size 14 shoe when I’m a size eight, but nevertheless, I wore them,” Graham said this year. He tried to keep the restaurant open for the community, though rising food costs factored into its eventual closing in October 2025. Graham said they were able to absorb the higher prices for about a year, but eventually it became too much to bear. Stores gave them fewer ingredients, and the profit margins just weren’t there.
Mama Elaine had a hand in the store closing, too. It was part of her will that the store would close upon her death. She’d certainly be proud of her family’s efforts.
Goat soup and hot water cornbread kept people well-fed and coming back for more. But the bond between Elaine’s and its fans went beyond food. There was a real sense of love and community, and that extended beyond Texas. For example, Hurricane Beryl hit the Caribbean islands in 2024, and Elaine’s welcomed donations of food and toiletries to send to Jamaica, helping out the people impacted by the hurricane.
As Mama Elaine liked to say, “You don’t know who people are, so everyone should be treated with respect.”
That mindset kept her business in Dallas’s hearts, and it’s a good approach to life as a whole. We’ll cheers to that!
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