DALLAS — Bryan Street Tavern has become the fifth business to exit the Sylvan Thirty complex in West Dallas, closing down after four years of operation.
The closure highlights an increase in departures from the development, which was hailed as a difference-maker for the area when it opened 10 years ago.
Tavern co-owners Joe Hinkson and Adam Navan, who opened their Sylvan Avenue location in December 2019, ultimately shut down the business on Nov. 2, citing unsustainable operating conditions and a lack of consistent clientele.
"The fact we got to this point is very disappointing and very expensive," Hinkson said, adding they were $70,000 in the hole and had fallen behind on some rental payments.
Sylvan Thirty's new owners, a real estate investment fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital, declined to comment on the business exodus.
When Sylvan Thirty launched a decade ago, it was heralded as an innovative development on the west side of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, similar to the Trinity Groves project, which has also undergone recent redevelopment.
However, the reality fell short of initial expectations for Navan and Hinkson, who also operate the Bryan Street Tavern in East Dallas.
"Sylvan Thirty should have been a destination," Hinkson explained, noting the critical importance of creating a compelling neighborhood draw.
Several storefronts, including Taco Deli, CiboDivino Marketplace, Banh Mi Station, Ten Ramen and Houndstooth Coffee, still generate traffic. However, the development has almost as many vacancies as it does booming businesses.
"Some of those buildings even across the street are vacant," Navan observed. "They're new, they look nice, but empty."
For Hinkson and Navan, the experience has been bittersweet. "Obviously, we're not a chain, we're not big money, but we like what we do," Navan said. "It was just a bad situation."
