Nearly three years after a gas explosion in the Sandman Hotel basement, Musume restaurant will reopen its doors, according to an emailed press release on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Located in the historic W.T. Waggoner Building at 810 Houston St., the Asian fusion restaurant was only open for six months before the January 2024 explosion wrecked through the basement kitchen, causing two floors to collapse and injuring 21 people.
Musume originally opened in Dallas in 2018 and then expanded to downtown Fort Worth in 2023. A third location opened last year at The Star in Frisco. The Japanese sushi and steakhouse flies in fresh fish from Japan and offers the largest sake and Japanese whiskey collections in the metroplex.
The restaurant will reopen this fall in their former and newly repaired dining room. The Sandman Hotel is not yet open, but plans to open this year, according to its website.
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A “Superfly” vegan roll, black cod misozuke and steamed buns at Musume. Ben Gibson Handout photo Will Musume’s menu be the same?
New executive chef Chris Conlon has served as Rock Libation’s Culinary director since 2023. Rock Libations hospitality group operated the ChopSports chain, Akai speakeasy and cocktail lounge and the Wine A Little wine bar, in addition to Musume restaurants.
The menu will feature Fort Worth-exclusive dishes, a nine-course omakase offering and sushi flown in daily from Japan.
The Dallas restaurant is known for grilled lamb lollipops with Thai basil, roasted sea bass with mushroom risotto, yellowtail serrano sashimi and a “Morgan” California roll with serrano, Sriracha sauce and Thai basil vinaigrette.
According to former Star-Telegram reporting, the Fort Worth restaurant was the only Musume location to offer breakfast – a must for a hotel restaurant. A spokesperson confirmed to the Star-Telegram that there will be a grab-and-go breakfast instead of full-service menu this time around.
What was a former bank vault at the historic Waggoner Building in downtown Fort Worth is now Musume’s tatami room for private dining. The circular metal door and vault stayed intact through the explosion in 2024. Courtesy photo by Musume New and improved Musume restaurant at the Sandman Hotel
Since the iconic Waggoner Building was initially built as a bank, Musume kept the original metal bank vault as the tatami room, a Japanese-style private dining space. Luckily, the circular metal vault stayed intact throughout the explosion and will return with the restaurant.
The gorgeous Italian marble found in the lobby and bar is also present in the new Musume lobby lounge. The 20-story building was originally built with a two-story marble base, and a white brick and terracotta top.
The newly-renovated restaurant will feature new custom Japanese-inspired murals in a sleek and modern design.
Musume will officially reopen in November, with 90 percent of former staff returning. To see opening timeline updates, follow Musume on social media.
Rendering of the Italian marble lobby lounge by Musume at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. Courtesy photo by Musume
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.