California Restaurateur Jeremy Fall Will Open a Restaurant and Hidden Bar in Waco

Los Angeles restaurateur Jeremy Fall is headed to Texas, and he’s got plans to bring his brand of vintage Americana to the rapidly growing town of Waco.

An update to Fall’s website indicates that he’s bringing two concepts to the city, just an hour and a half south of Dallas. Fall tells Eater that he’s planning to take over a historical church in Waco with a restaurant called Chapter, which he describes as a modern interpretation of “old-school Americana” with Italian influence on the menu. “Think of Arthur Avenue in New York City with modern updates,” Fall says. “Similar to my other restaurants, it’s Americana classics with an elevated twist. We make all our food from scratch.” Also opening in that space is a hidden bar with a swanky ’70s vibe called Jukebox, which will open in the basement.

Fall says that his love of small towns led him to Waco of all places, and he’s likely hoping to capitalize on its newfound trendiness, established by Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. Over the past couple of years, the popularity of the Gaines’s HGTV show has spilled over into millions of tourists visiting Waco to stay in homes designed by the Gaines and dine or shop at their bustling Magnolia Market.

For diners unfamiliar with Fall, he’s a major player in Los Angeles’s restaurant scene. He currently operates a liquor store with a “speakeasy deli” in the back called Tinfoil Liquor & Grocery, along with the much-lauded morning destination Nighthawk Breakfast Bar in Los Angeles; two outposts of its spin-off, Nighthawk: AM; a pizzeria called Paperboy in Santa Monica; and “classic American diner” Easy’s.

Fall says that he’s in the process of beginning construction on his Waco space, and that Chapter will make its Waco debut in late 2019. Stay tuned for more details on its menu and opening date.

Update, 2:33 p.m.: This post has been updated with additional details on Fall’s plans to open a Waco restaurant.