Mockingbird Diner Closes, Citing Staffing Issues

It’s the end of the line for Mockingbird Diner, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot that opened a year and half ago near Dallas Love Field serving up homey dishes like beef tips, chili-topped enchiladas, and chicken fried steak. GuideLive reports on the closure with an interview from Mockingbird Diner owner Jack Perkins, the mind behind other spots like The Slow Bone (which he’s since sold) and burger restaurant Maple and Motor.

Perkins zeros in on staffing issues for why the diner is no more. “We had between 40 and 50 employees,” he told GuideLive, “and we’d lose 10 or 12 people a month.”

Mockingbird Diner even switched up its format in March to serve food cafeteria-style, with the hope that that would require less employees. “This whole process has befuddled me,” Perkins told GuideLive. ”We have never had trouble staffing Maple & Motor. ... The people who I hired at Slow Bone are still there. ... For the first time ever, I’m at a complete loss for why this didn’t work.”

• Was it the staff? The size? Restaurateur ‘befuddled’ over Mockingbird Diner’s closure [GuideLive]
• Mockingbird Diner Will Bring Together Two Of Dallas’ Most Popular Restaurateurs [EDFW]
• The Slow Bone and Mockingbird Diner Will Serve Free Dinner on Thanksgiving Day [EDFW]
• Mockingbird Diner Is Opening Up Just to Give Away Free Food on Thanksgiving [EDFW]