Two Dallas chefs are turning the former RAYO Bar & Lounge into Midcult Society, a new sit-down restaurant in Exposition Park that aims for inventive yet approachable flavor. Led by Mike Stites and Evan Pemberton, the spot will seat roughly 70 guests. The duo says the menu will lean on Southern cooking with global influences, and they are eyeing a summer debut while insisting they will not rush the buildout just to hit an opening date.
Stites and Pemberton laid out their vision in an interview with the Dallas Observer, describing Midcult as a way to showcase elevated technique in a more relaxed, middlebrow setting. “I’ve felt like there’s been a Cry-Wolf-shaped hole in Dallas dining,” Stites told the paper, while stressing he is not trying to copy Cry Wolf note for note. The plan is to refresh the menu about once a quarter, a pace the team says should keep things creative without leaving regulars guessing every time they sit down.
Chef roots and the Cry Wolf connection
Cry Wolf, the adventurous East Dallas restaurant where Stites moved up the ranks, closed in October 2023, according to The Dallas Morning News. D Magazine has highlighted Stites’ role there as chef de cuisine under Ross Demers, which helps explain why his next move is drawing attention inside the local restaurant world. With Midcult, the chefs say they want to carry forward Cry Wolf’s inventive spirit while shedding some of the volatility that comes with a tiny room and a constantly shifting tasting menu.
Expo Park's growing scene
Midcult Society will land in the middle of a busy moment for Exposition Park. Atlético Dallas has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Expo Park and to build a street-soccer court and a supporters bar across the street, timing those projects to the FIFA World Cup this June. That activity could bring a fresh stream of foot traffic and new regulars to the block. Stites said he would like to open by mid June to catch some of that energy, while still prioritizing a careful, deliberate buildout. According to an Atlético Dallas press release, the court and related activation are expected to be among the first public draws on the block.
Menu and the room
Pemberton cooked at Flora Street Cafe in Dallas before heading to Chicago, where he worked at Roister, The Aviary and the Michelin-starred Alinea under Grant Achatz, according to the Dallas Observer. He and Stites say Midcult’s menu will be rooted in Southern flavors but will pull from global techniques, with a roughly 70 seat dining room that is meant to feel steadier and more accessible than Cry Wolf’s model. The team plans cosmetic updates to the former RAYO space and quarterly menu rotations designed to keep regulars engaged without alienating them.
Why timing matters
Both public and private money around Fair Park and Expo Park has been flowing into sports and hospitality projects this year, including conditional grants and development plans meant to support nearby retail and restaurants. Coverage from Dallas Innovates and city announcements describes incentives tied to Atlético Dallas’ move and the broader growth of the neighborhood. For Midcult Society, that could translate to a more dependable audience than the previous tenant enjoyed, although the chefs insist they are betting on execution, not just location or buzz.
Construction timelines and permitting will ultimately dictate the exact debut date, but the owners say they expect to open in summer 2026 and will spend the coming weeks finalizing the menu and retrofitting the room. If they hit a June window, Midcult Society could be one of the first fresh dining options for fans and visitors during what is shaping up to be a busy summer around Fair Park. Either way, Stites and Pemberton say their focus is a reliable, welcoming dining experience that still gives them room to push boundaries on the plate.
