Fort Worth's Ridglea Bar Has Closed, For Now

Yesterday, the venue posted a cryptic Facebook status: "Show's over, folks. Nothing to see here." Preston Jones over at the Star-Telegram reported that Fort Worth's Ridglea Bar shuttered rather abruptly Thursday.

The bar neighbors the historical Ridglea Theatre and opened March 11 with no liquor license. It had been featuring live music, booked by Travis Barnes until, according to an email sent to DFW.com, property owner Jerry Shults fired Barnes citing the bar's closure.

Shults told Jones that the closure is temporarily and the bar will undergo changes to satisfy city rezoning requirements for the Ridglea Urban Village on Camp Bowie. As Jones explains, "The area is now designated 'MU-2,' high-intensity mixed use, with an explicit ban on 'bars and/or drinking establishments as a permitted use.'" The bar, which Shults says will reopen this month, will serve food.

Shults is also aiming to reopen the Ridglea Theatre, which has the historical designation of "highly significant endangered," as a music venue. That concept isn't new, as the theater has been a venue before, playing host to music festivals such as Wall of Sound and predominantly local shows. Perhaps this time, it'll stick.

· Fort Worth's Ridglea Bar abruptly closes [Star-Telegram]
· Ridglea Bar [Facebook]
· All Ridglea Coverage on Eater Dallas [-EDFW-]

[Photo: Ridglea Bar/Facebook]