Dallas restaurant FT33 to close on June 23, says chef and owner Matt McCallister – but wait, there’s more

Sending word out a few minutes ago over his Facebook and Twitter channels, Matt McCallister announced today that he would be closing his Dallas restaurant FT33 on June 23. The Dallas Design District restaurant has been open more than five years. Rumors of the impending closure (and a new venture) have been filtering into Hatch HQ for several weeks.

“It is with mixed emotions that I announce the last day of service at FT33 will be June 23rd, 2018,” he writes on his public page. “This is also the 2 year mark of my sobriety, which was not intentional but feels serendipitous. While part of me feels a sense of relief to finally get to this moment, it is still bittersweet and full of emotion. In 2012, I opened FT33 with big dreams of turning Dallas upside down by focusing on creative food without the pretension (the real irony is that statement, in and of itself, is pretentious). My ego (insecurity) was huge and my knowledge of running a great restaurant was negligible. In the beginning, I set aside most things in my life to go after my dream of running an ambitious restaurant and had no clue what I was doing…I had no real defined set of standards or even a philosophy of my own personal cooking style.  It was selfish and self-fulfilling to start…maybe self-fulfilling and self-defeating is a better read on that, in hindsight. Regardless, I continued along relentlessly and was a maniac (I still am, with just a different happier approach to life). I was so driven to prove something, and I have come to realize that what I really do enjoy is the company of people, hospitality, and enjoying your passion. I never planned on FT33 being around forever and most people who know me knew this day would eventually come. I still smile thinking about all the great times, crazy ideas, relentless pushing to BE better, DO better, and push new ideas to our amazing staff and guests. I look at the food we are doing now and it makes me proud to know that, for now, it has a place and a story to tell. I feel that the food we are cooking now is what FT always aspired to be but it took a while to find its true voice. I’ve also grown up a bit…maybe I’ve grown beyond what FT once fulfilled for me. That isn’t a bad thing…it just is. I am extremely thankful for everyone that has been a part of what built this restaurant and carried it to what it stands for today. I hope to see all of the familiar faces that have supported us over the past 6 years so we can share stories and laughs over these last 7 weeks. ”

And just to tease us, he added, “I have something fun in the works, so don’t worry, you’ll be hearing from me soon.”

And yes, I do know what he’s planning next. Check back here shortly.