Downtown Weatherford’s historic storefront at 114 Austin Ave is on track for a serious glow-up, with state records showing a $3.2 million renovation planned for the former Fire Oak Grill space. The paperwork lists a Fort Worth–based ownership group and a Grapevine design firm, but leaves the tenant line blank, which has locals buzzing about who is stepping in. The timing, paired with a designer tied to recent high-profile steakhouse work in Fort Worth, has many wondering if Taylor Sheridan’s hospitality circle is circling Weatherford.
What the filings show
According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the project registration filed last Friday pegs the remodel at $3,200,000 for 12,731 square feet of space, with construction scheduled to start May 1 and wrap up by May 31, 2027. The filing lists Goodrich Hospitality Trust of Fort Worth as the owner and Duncan Design Group as the design firm, and it shows the project as privately funded. The tenant line reads simply, “Not Assigned.”
Fire Oak’s run and the building’s sale
Fire Oak Grill held down the address for roughly 18 years, becoming a downtown Weatherford staple. In a farewell note, owners Candice and Grant Lambdin said they hoped the next steward of the space will continue to pour love into this space. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that a Fort Worth–based family trust bought the 1884–85 building in July, and the restaurant closed as that deal advanced. The paper also notes that a spokesperson for SGS Holdings did not respond to a request for comment.
Why Sheridan’s name keeps coming up
Locals are connecting dots between the Weatherford project and Taylor Sheridan because of his recent restaurant moves in Fort Worth and the presence of Duncan Design Group on the state filing. Eater Dallas has detailed how Sheridan and his SGS Holdings partners bought Cattlemen’s Steak House in 2025 and launched a multimillion-dollar overhaul that includes a members-only club and a spotlight on beef from Sheridan’s Four Sixes Ranch.
For the Weatherford site, though, the state paperwork tells a more restrained story. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation record lists only Goodrich Hospitality Trust as owner and shows “tenant: Not Assigned,” and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram points out that Sheridan’s name does not appear anywhere on that application. At this stage, there is no public filing that names Sheridan or SGS Holdings as the backer of the project, so any link remains speculation, not confirmation.
What to watch next
Construction is currently slated to run from May 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, with the job marked as privately funded. Anyone tracking whether a marquee hospitality group lands at 114 Austin Ave will want to keep an eye on Weatherford building-permit postings, business filings and health-department records for any tenant names or operator registrations. If a big-name player does sign on, expect trade permits and contractor listings to provide the first hard clues about who is moving into the former Fire Oak Grill space.
