Courtesy: Lilly Pulitzer

Doors are opening, while other doors have closed in Fort Worth, where there’s a lot on the business scene to keep up with. Keeping up with it, well, it can keep you on your toes.

Some of us are tickled absolutely pink that Lilly Pulitzer has opened its golden doors at The Shops at Clearfork in Southwest Fort Worth. The brand, which radiates sunshine, seashells, and bright colors, celebrated its grand opening Saturday at 5249 Monahans Ave.

With walls that glisten like sparkling white sand, oversized sea-shelled mirrors, and four hand-painted dressing rooms, the bright boutique is equipped to ready Cowtown for resort season. This is the only Lilly Pulitzer in Tarrant County, since a previous one in Southlake Town Square closed a few years ago. Fort Worth Lilly lovers no longer will have to motor over to Big D to get their fix of punchy pinks, blues, greens, and corals.

Fort Worth’s Lilly Pulitzer boutique held its grand opening Saturday at The Shops at Clearfork. (Joy Donovan for CandysDirt.com)

The real Lilly Pulitzer launched her shift shop in the early 1960s in Palm Beach, Florida. When her gal pal Jackie Kennedy was photographed wearing one of her signature shifts, the business took off like “zingo,” as the designer was once quoted as saying.

Fries Goodbyes

Let’s move from Lilly to Lili, and the news ain’t so great. Man, how we will miss Lili’s Bistro at 1310 W. Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth. Just where are we supposed to get our gorgonzola fries fix now?

One of the fixtures of the Near Southside’s renaissance, Lili’s Bistro, closed when owner Vance Martin retired this past summer.

“As I prepare for retirement after a wonderful 37-year journey with the amazing Fort Worth community, my heart is filled with appreciation,” Martin wrote on the restaurant’s website. “Your constant support and the friendships I’ve built have been my greatest treasures.”

Rumors swirled that someone might buy the business, but as time ticks on, it looks like we’ve all eaten our last plate of those fries, sipped our last iced tea, and noshed at that tabouleh.

Last Meow

And my goodness, another restaurant with a following has shut down. Cat City Grill, located just down the street from Lili’s Bistro at 1208 W. Magnolia Ave., turned off its lights for good late last month.

“After 15 wonderful years of serving the Fort Worth community, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors,” owners Denise and Martin Thompson, wrote on the restaurant’s website. “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.”

It was a great place for lunch and a nice spot for brunch. Not purring about this.

No More Strikes

Pinstripes in The Shops at Clearfork closed its doors last month, along with others across the country. (Joy Donovan for CandysDirt.com)

It’s a gutter ball for Pinstripes, the bowling alley with a killer Sunday brunch, has closed the Fort Worth location.

Pinstripes, founded in 2005 in Chicago, was in a two-story building at 5001 Trailhead Bend Way at The Shops at Clearfork.

Each Pinstripes entertainment complex offered an Italian-American menu, a full bar, bocce courts and, of course, bowling alleys. Rental spaces for corporate and social events were also part of the concept.

The parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sept. 8, closing 10 locations, scattered across the U.S. from California to New Jersey. Eight other Pinstripes, none in Texas, will remain open.