Eats Beat

Heim Barbecue restaurant cancels Parker County plan over ‘havoc,’ ‘sky high expenses’

Heim Barbecue has canceled plans for a landmark location in Hudson Oaks because of high restaurant expenses and construction costs, owner Travis Heim wrote Wednesday on Facebook.

Heim will seek another location nearby, Heim wrote in canceling plans announced in early 2022 for a location at 1000 Cinema Drive off Interstate 20.

Work continues on a new Heim location in a retail project at 135 W. Ellison St. in Burleson.

“I know this is upsetting to some,” Travis Heim wrote in a long Facebook announcement, “but we had to face the facts that our original plan wasn’t an option anymore in this economy.”

A view of the now-canceled Heim Barbecue location in Hudson Oaks.
A view of the now-canceled Heim Barbecue location in Hudson Oaks. Handout photo

Heim had announced a 5,000-square-foot restaurant, patio and beer garden, the first large-scale contemporary barbecue restaurant in Parker County.

Heim is committed to opening in the county, he wrote.

“Our industry is still reeling from the havoc wreaked by the COVID virus,” he wrote. “We’re still facing sky high expenses that make operating a profitable restaurant almost impossible.”

Heim Barbecue’s signature dish, smoked bacon “burnt ends” sit on the board with brisket and ribs.
Heim Barbecue’s signature dish, smoked bacon “burnt ends” sit on the board with brisket and ribs. Amanda McCoy amccoy@star-telegram.com

Heim opened in 2014 as an East Hattie Street food truck in the location that is now Panther City BBQ.

Riding the Texas craft barbecue craze, it expanded to a restaurant and bar at 1109 W. Magnolia Ave., then added a River District location at 5333 White Settlement Road and another in Dallas, 3130 W. Mockingbird Lane.

The White Settlement Road restaurant recently added Monday service for the first time. All three current locations open for breakfast at 9 a.m. daily.

Heim also announced that barbecue is now shipped nationwide through Goldbelly.com.

This story was originally published March 22, 2023 at 5:30 AM.

Bud Kennedy’s Eats Beat
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Bud Kennedy is celebrating his 40th year writing about restaurants in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has written the “Eats Beat” dining column in print since 1985 and online since 1992 — that’s more than 3,000 columns about Texas cafes, barbecue, burgers and where to eat. Support my work with a digital subscription
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