The Rim, the Fort Worth restaurant known for its chicken-and-waffles brunch and Southern comfort menu, has closed its location at Waterside Shopping Center. The closure happened on July 26, and the only announcement customers found was a paper sign posted to the door.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which first reported the closure, the sign read: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of this location.” The restaurant encouraged customers to keep eating at its flagship location in Burleson, which opened in 2018, three years before the Fort Worth outpost debuted in 2021. No reason for the closure was given, and the Star-Telegram reports the cause remains unknown.
The Rim served what it called food with soul, built around comfort dishes and a chicken-and-waffles brunch. Behind that menu was chef Keith Hicks, who also served as executive chef at the restaurant. Hicks previously earned local renown at Fort Worth soul food institution Buttons, and in January 2024 he underwent a community-backed fundraiser organized by former colleagues to help pay for a double-lung transplant after being diagnosed with severe COPD, according to PaperCity Magazine.
A Local Restaurateur's Legacy Under New Ownership
The Rim was founded by Brent Johnson, the same Fort Worth restaurateur behind the Tex-Mex chain Rio Mambo. Johnson opened the original Rio Mambo in Fort Worth's Cityview Centre on September 11, 2001, and ran the growing chain for 22 years alongside his daughter, Mallori Schick, according to 360West Magazine. Rio Mambo still has four locations, in Fort Worth, Colleyville, Burleson and Weatherford, and all remain open.
In March 2023, Johnson sold both Rio Mambo and The Rim to California-based Xperience Restaurant Group. That deal added six North Texas locations to XRG's national portfolio, which at the time counted 68 full-service casual dining spots, per Nation's Restaurant News. The corporate structure has kept shifting since: in January 2026, private equity firm Z Capital Group folded Xperience Restaurant Group into a new Apex Hospitality platform alongside Pink Taco and Mrs. Fields, under digital media operator Affinity Interactive, the Orange County Business Journal reported.
The Fort Worth space itself has a history of turnover. Before The Rim moved in and underwent extensive renovations ahead of its early 2021 opening, the same Waterside bay was occupied by Taco Diner, according to PaperCity Magazine's reporting on the site.
Waterside's Dining Lineup Keeps Shrinking
The Rim's departure adds to a string of changes at Waterside, the 63-acre retail center along the Trinity River. The property was built on land that once served as the private Lockheed Martin Recreation Association grounds for defense industry employees, according to What Now Dallas. In February 2025, developer Trademark Property Company sold the 63-acre, 157,000-square-foot center to New York-based investment firm The Georgetown Company while it was 98 percent leased.
Another founding dining anchor is also on its way out. Piattello Italian Kitchen, founded by Fort Worth chef Marcus Palsay, is leaving Waterside for The Shops at Clearfork. Per the Fort Worth Business Press, the move set for November 2026 will expand Piattello's footprint to 5,620 square feet with 160 indoor seats and a 40-seat patio, adding seven-day lunch and dinner service. The relocation will make Piattello the first and only locally-owned restaurant in the outdoor mall at The Shops at Clearfork.
The Rim's closure also follows a similar pattern just down the road. In June, fellow Southern comfort destination Fixe Southern House permanently closed its doors at the neighboring Shops at Clearfork after eight years in business, as Hoodline reported at the time.
Thin Margins Across North Texas Dining
The broader financial picture for independent restaurants in the state offers some context for why closures like this can happen abruptly. According to Texas Restaurant Association estimates from early 2026, most independent Texas restaurants operate with only one to two weeks of cash reserves on hand, leaving them vulnerable to sudden revenue downturns or rising overhead costs, per WFAA.
Whether rising commercial rents, lease terms tied to Waterside's new ownership, or shifting foot traffic toward Clearfork played a role in The Rim's exit remains an open question. For now, Fort Worth diners hoping for another plate of chicken and waffles will need to make the drive to the Burleson flagship, while Rio Mambo's four North Texas locations continue serving as usual.
