The decades-old Roy Pope Grocery is closing May 31 as a hospitality group plans to open a new eatery in the Arlington Heights space.<\/p>\n
Westland Hospitality Group restaurateur Gigi Howell clarified the business deal<\/a> relating to the site at 2300 Merrick St.<\/p>\n In Facebook posts, Howell said Roy Pope owner Mark Harris and other partners decided to close the gourmet grocery store prior to a business deal with Fort Worth-based Westland Hospitality. The store will remain open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the end of May.<\/p>\n \u201cMark Harris and the current owners of Roy Pope recently made the decision to close Roy Pope Grocery May 31st,\u201d Howell wrote in a May 24 post. \u201cThat decision was made well before Westland Hospitality was chosen to bring in a restaurant concept.\u201d<\/p>\n Westland Hospitality will take over the building\u2019s lease June 1 as it develops a new restaurant to honor the legacy of the grocery and meat market opened in 1943 by the late Roy and Rose Pope.\u00a0<\/p>\n The market served the neighborhoods surrounding Camp Bowie Boulevard, Westover Hills and the Cultural District. The westside institution was known for quality ingredients, prepared foods and personalized service.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as we decided to get out of the grocery business, I could think of no better steward than Westland Hospitality for the Roy Pope name,\u201d Harris said in a Facebook video.\u00a0<\/p>\n Roy Pope closed in 2020 but was renovated and reopened with a refreshed concept two years later under a partnership with Lou Lambert<\/a>, Chris Reale<\/a> and current owner Harris<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2024, Lambert and Reale left the Roy Pope Grocery<\/a> partnership, although they remain partners with Harris in running Fort Worth\u2019s equally iconic Paris Coffee Shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n Howell is developing a new Roy Pope menu with chef Juan Rodriguez and Levi Gardner, executive chef at Margie\u2019s Italian Gardens and a Westland Hospitality culinary leader. Gardner has helped curate special menus across Westland\u2019s family of restaurants and will serve as executive chef for Roy Pope.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are proud to be in this building and in this wonderful neighborhood,\u201d Howell said. \u201cOur promise is to bring great food, mindful hospitality and a deep respect for history into the space as we begin shaping what comes next. As plans come together, we are looking closely at the dishes, desserts, details and memories that made Roy Pope special to many.\u201d<\/p>\n Westland Hospitality owns several Fort Worth restaurants, including JD\u2019s Hamburgers, Pulido\u2019s Kitchen & Cantina, Margie\u2019s Italian Gardens, Curly\u2019s Frozen Custard, Magdalena\u2019s Catering & Events, West Side Cafe, Westland Gardens and Westland Bar Co.<\/p>\n Westland is \u201csuper excited\u201d to carry on the Roy Pope name, Howell said.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough the grocery is closing, our restaurant will humbly bear the name Roy Pope as an homage to what once was,\u201d Howell said.<\/p>\n Westland\u2019s new Southern restaurant will preserve the familiarity and sense of place that have made it meaningful to the surrounding community, company officials said in a news release.\u00a0<\/p>\n Howell said the restaurant could be open in about seven to eight months.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, we still want to be your neighborhood go-to place,\u201d she said in the video post. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to serve you.\u201d<\/p>\n Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n