Beloved Fort Worth Chinese Restaurant is Shuttering — Cannon Prepares to Bow Out

When Cannon Chinese first opened in 2015, in a small house tucked along a mostly residential street in the Southside neighborhood of Fort Worth, it was almost as if they read my mind. I had just been saying, the one thing the Fort Worth restaurant scene truly lacked was authentic Chinese cuisine.

Then the owners of both Tokyo Cafe and Shinjuku Station, both Japanese izakaya style restaurants, decided to remedy that deficit by opening Cannon.

Sadly, Cannon Chinese Kitchen is now closing. It will welcome its last diners on Saturday, August 7, before turning the lights out for good. Luckily both of Cannon’s sibling restaurants do remain.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of Cannon Chinese Kitchen,” restaurant owners Casey Kha and Jarry and Mary Ho reveal in a social media post. “For all we have overcome the past year and a half, nothing succumbs to what the hospitality/service industry is currently facing with the shortage of staff.”

Located at 304 West Cannon Street, Cannon is in a bungalow and was utterly transformed into a local Fort Worth restaurant favorite. Cannon Chinese became a place for happy hour noshing with quality cocktails, and special occasion celebrations featuring tables filled with small plates to share. The snug bar at the front flowed into charming rooms decorated with bold chrysanthemum wall paper. South Main Village literally grew up around it.

“We wanted to introduce Fort Worth to a more traditional Chinese dining experience, sharing some of our favorite childhood family recipes,” the owners’ goodbye continues. “We hope you continue to support the South Main Village.

“It has been a sight to see with all the development and great local businesses that have opened over the years to keep our Fort Worth shining.”

Last year’s COVID closures were not in anyone’s business plan, and few industries suffered more than the restaurant industry. Now back but faced with continuing staffing shortages, many restaurateurs are reaching their breaking point.

The departure of one of Fort Worth’s best Chinese restaurants leaves a hole. Where else can you enjoy a traditional Mapu Tofu, the simplicity of Cannon’s lemon and garlic bok choy, or the nine layer scallion pancake dusted with Chinese spices?

Shinjuku Station and Tokyo Cafe remain as two of Fort Worth’s best Japanese restaurants, and the city boasts worthy restaurants in other Asian cuisines. Thai and Vietnamese are covered. But Cannon’s fresh and delicious take on Chinese will be missed.

Some restaurant closings hurt more than others. And this is one of them.