FORT WORTH, Texas — A revival of the iconic family-owned Pulido’s Tex-Mex restaurant chain is in the works.
Months after the family announced it would close the Fort Worth staple after 57 years, local restauranteur Gigi Howell and the Westland Group are in the process of purchasing five of the properties to reopen the local favorite.
Howell, who remembers having weeknight dinners as a child at the original location on what is now Pulido’s St, lined up at the restaurant in its final days for one last meal. She reminisced about the restaurant’s memories with her business partner.
“We both thought, this can’t happen,” Howell said. “This is everybody’s place. We wanted to bring it back because we don’t want people to miss out on what was Pulido’s."
Currently, Howell is in the process of purchasing the locations in Eastland, Benbrook, Fort Worth, Cleburne and Hurst.
The Fort Worth location, which was the first location to open, will be the first to reopen this year.
Howell told WFAA the goal is to reopen the Pulido’s St. in late April 2024. The Hurst location will likely be the next to reopen, Howell said.
The original location has a fresh coat of paint and a new awning. Inside, new plumbing is close to completion, and the restaurant will undergo a remodel to brighten up the space indoors. The indoor layout will remain the same, Howell said.
The family’s traditional Mexican dishes will remain on the menu when the new Pulido’s reopens.
“It’s still gonna be Pulido’s,” Howell said. “We’re gonna show it the love it deserves.”
Howell plans to add new drinks to the menu, and many of the same employees will return. She hopes that the restaurant will have the same family feel.
“We felt the love and hard work that went into this restaurant from the Pulido family, and we don’t want to see anything happen to that,” Howell said.
The restaurant was a labor of love that got its start from humble beginnings.
Dionicia and Pedro Pulido, known as ‘Papa Pulido,’ first opened the restaurant back in 1966 as a way of providing meals to his coworkers at the nearby railyard. Railyard employees encouraged the couple to open a restaurant. The first restaurant, located at 2900 Pulido St. was renamed after the family. The restaurant chain stayed in the Pulido family until its closure.
When the original location reopens, its newly built bar will be named Papa Pulido’s Railyard Bar. Papa Pulido’s mural will be on display in the bar area. The family’s old photographs will remain on display throughout the inside of the restaurant.
It’s Howell’s way of honoring the family and preserving Fort Worth's history.
“I feel just a great sense of pride and a great deal of responsibility, and I hope we can make everybody proud, especially the family,” Howell said.
Beyond reopening the beloved restaurant, Howell is making a promise to the community: she and her team will honor the legacy the Pulido family built.