Two well-regarded barmen unexpectedly shutter two Dallas restaurants

Sad news filtered over to Hatch HQ this week. Two well-regarded Dallas bartenders and restauratuers have closed their two notable Dallas restaurants.

Brian McCullough and his business partner Robert Hall have shuttered Vicini, their old-school Italian restaurant in Frisco. While the North Texas city is booming along the Dallas North Tollway, Vicini never could quite gain traction.

Closer to downtown Dallas, Eddie “Lucky” Campbell has closed his Lower Greenville Avenue restaurant, Knuckle Sandwich Co. Open only a few months, Campbell cut his losses and, according to someone close to the operation, the space will reopen later this month as Lower Greenville Taps with Alec Kemp, formerly of Andrews Distributing, signing the checks.

Kemp confirmed the closure and told the Hatch he plans to keep the same basic look and feel of Knuckle, add draft beers, and streamline the drink menu.

“Eddie’s food menu was really solid, so we plan to keep that,” Kemp said. “It’s a tough business.”

Neither McCullough nor Campbell responded to inquiries.