Chloe's Burgers, the gourmet burger stand tucked into the Parkdale Mall food court in Beaumont, has gone dark for about a week after a fire marshal ordered the closure over problems with its kitchen vent-a-hood. Owner Brandon Rodriguez says he expects the doors to reopen by August 28 or 31, and when they do, the stand will be in a new spot next to his other restaurant, Bennie's Pizza.
Rodriguez is not pointing fingers elsewhere. According to fox4beaumont.com, he takes responsibility for not ensuring the original space's vent-a-hood was up to standard before the fire marshal stepped in. The problem became obvious in an unmistakable way, he said: “We knew we had a problem with the vent-a-hood when people throughout the mall could smell our wonderful Chloe's Burgers.”
A Forced Pause, and a Move Next Door
Per the same report, the vent-a-hood issue is what prompted the fire marshal to order the closure in the first place, a detail Rodriguez confirmed himself. The stand is closed for about a week, with inspections scheduled for next week ahead of the planned reopening. Rather than simply patch the old space, Chloe's Burgers is relocating to a spot next to Bennie's Pizza, the New York-style pizza counter Rodriguez built a following with before launching Chloe's, known for slices like chicken Parmesan, brisket BBQ, and boudin garlic knots, according to a Facebook post from a local group.
The rules behind that fire marshal order are not arbitrary. National Fire Protection Association Standard 96 requires commercial kitchen exhaust hood systems and fire suppression units in Texas to be professionally inspected at least every six months, according to Zion Fire Protection. Under Section 4.1.5 of that same code, legal responsibility for inspecting, maintaining, and cleaning that ventilation and fire safety equipment rests with the system owner unless it has been formally transferred to a tenant in writing, per Kitchen Guard. It remains unclear whether Parkdale Mall management or Rodriguez as tenant held that contractual responsibility for the original hood infrastructure, and the exact cost of the upgrade has not been disclosed.
Who's Watching the Kitchens
Enforcement of those standards locally falls to the Beaumont Fire-Rescue Services Community Risk Reduction Division, which conducts both scheduled and unannounced fire code compliance inspections on commercial food facilities during regular weekday hours, according to the City of Beaumont. Whether Chloe's Burgers passes its scheduled inspections ahead of the planned late-August reopening is still an open question.
Chloe's Burgers opened in 2025 and takes its name from Rodriguez's pet French Bulldog, Chloe, with the tagline “Put your paws on our burgers!,” according to the restaurant's own website. The Beaumont Convention & Visitors Bureau lists the stand among Parkdale Mall's notable food court additions, citing a menu built around gourmet burgers, hot dogs, loaded fries, and chicken sandwiches, alongside vegan options. When it reopens, the stand plans to continue offering loaded fries and fish. It's also known for the Chloe's Pound Club Challenge, which dares customers to eat a triple-patty, one-pound burger in under three minutes, a stunt the business has promoted on its Facebook page.
Why the Food Court Matters to Southeast Texas
The stakes of a food court closure at Parkdale Mall extend beyond one burger stand. The mall, which opened in 1973 and spans more than 1.37 million square feet, is the only enclosed shopping mall within a 60-mile radius in Southeast Texas, according to property manager CBL Properties. Its customer base is fed in part by major regional petrochemical employers, including Motiva, ExxonMobil, BASF, and Chevron, along with Lamar University, which enrolled more than 18,000 students during the 2024–2025 academic year, per the same CBL Properties data.
