Local Texas restaurant closing after 15 years

There’s something heartwarming about owning a restaurant and seeing people enjoy your food and establishment, keep coming back, bring their loved ones, laugh, and enjoy food prepared with love. It sounds like a rewarding business.

Unfortunately, no one can live on uplifting feelings alone. The business needs to be profitable, and today’s harsh economic climate is making that harder than ever.

In Texas, the food-service industry is one of the largest private-sector employers with more than 57,000 restaurants and $137.8 billion in annual sales, according to a report by Texas Restaurant Association.

Texas restaurants are more than businesses. They are employers, economic engines, and cultural anchors for every community, said Texas Restaurant Association CEO Emily Williams Knight.

Despite being one of the top three states with the biggest food-services industries, restaurants in Texas are not resistant to high labor costs, inflation, tariffs, higher food expenses, changes in customer behavior, and fierce competition.

In recent news, another local Texas restaurant closed its doors for good.

Fort Worth's Cat City Grill is closing after 15 years

A neighborhood favorite on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth, Cat City Grill, will close its doors on September 28, after 15 years of serving the community.

The restaurant’s owners, Martin and Denise Thompson, didn’t disclose the reason for the closure, but said it was time to turn a new page, according to Fort Worth Culture Map.

After 15 and a half years it is time to call it quits. Over 37 years in the service industry I’ve had enough and it’s time for a change, Martin said.

Martin opened Cat City Grill back in 2010 as a steakhouse and bar at the time of restaurant expansion on West Magnolia Avenue. The idea behind the name Cat City is a play on Fort Worth’s “Panther City” nickname.

Earlier this month, Martin shared, “Obviously the industry has changed,” reported the Fort-Worth Star Telegram. Martin cited the price of beef as one of major challenges for smaller restaurant businesses.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ground beef was priced at $6.12 a pound in June, which is 12% higher than in June 2024.

This is the first time since the Consumer Price Index started to track the data in the 1980s that ground beef price has surpassed $6, according to the Joint Economic Committee's minority arm.

Cat City Grill owners: "Hardest decision we have had to make"

Despite citing beef prices as one of the challenges their business is facing, the owners didn’t highlight one reason for closure, stating that there were “so many factors in our decision to close. Just know that this was the hardest decision we have had to make."

From the very beginning, Cat City Grill offered an extensive menu of steakhouse eats and seafood, and earned the Best Restaurant title in 2010 and 2011 from the readers of Fort Worth Weekly.

In addition to steak and seafood, customers could enjoy award winning chicken-fried steak and house-made meatloaf.

Related: Americans are worried about the economy; spending anyway

Fort Worth Weekly once described its interior as having “pretty earth-toned walls and steel-topped tables” that provide a “soothing environment."

Cat City Grill often organizes customer-friendly weeknight offerings featuring taco nights, and fan-favorite specials like a bacon grilled cheese sandwich with tomato basil soup, or a patty melt on Texas toast.

The owners shared their gratitude to their staff, including chef Osman Suarez, employees, customers, and family members.

Cat City Grill's goodbye letter of gratitude

Cat City Grill's owners posted a goodbye letter on the official website:

This journey has been filled with countless shared meals, laughter, celebrations, and friendships. We are deeply grateful for the loyalty and support you’ve shown us over the years — whether you joined us for a casual lunch, a special dinner, or became part of our extended Cat City Grill family.

Martin and Denise Thompson also said they will carry the memories made with all the customers and hope that “Cat City Grill has been more than just a restaurant — but a place where you felt welcome and at home.”

Longtime loyal customer Genell Boothe was sad to hear the news about the closing, reported 5NBC DFW.

We are going to miss them a lot, Boothe said.

Restaurants in Texas and nationally need customer support

This is not the only Texas restaurant to shut its doors recently.

In August, a small, Houston-based restaurant chain, District 7 Grill, filed for Chapter 11 Subchapter V bankruptcy protection in the Southern District of Texas.

Then there’s Campo Verde Mexican Bar and Grill, known for its Christmas decorations, which also announced its closure by the end of the year.

Related: 40-year-old Italian restaurant brand closing forever next month

Even larger national chains aren’t immune to economic pressures, with big names such as Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, Bar Louie, and many others closing many locations.

I think the best way to sum up the state of the industry here in Texas is that they're just dealing with a lot of uncontrollables, Williams Knight said.

Knight added that restaurants are also dealing with the shift in customer behavior as they are less likely to eat out than they used to.

Thompson urged customers to continue to support local independent restaurants to help them survive.

Key Takeaways:

• Cat City Grill closes its doors after 15 years in Fort Worth’s Magnolia Avenue neighborhood.
• Owners cited rising beef prices as one of many reasons for this "hard decision."
• The closure reflects broader struggles facing independent Texas restaurants today.
• Owners urged continued support for small, local restaurants battling economic pressures.

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