Legendary Dallas Chef Shutters Flora Street Cafe, Leaves Restaurant Ownership Behind After 36 Years

It was just this summer that I was sitting in Stephan Pyles’ Flora Street Cafe, listening to the James Beard Award-winning chef talk about his newest venture. Speaking about his new partnership with Ventana, a new luxury high-rise senior living community, you could tell he had a lot of excitement about the project and the five new restaurants he would bring to the community.

Pyles spoke about how Ventana was already geared toward his base, mentioning the high end, luxurious setting he has at Flora Street Cafe.

After three years in the Arts District, Pyles has now closed Flora Street Cafe, along with Fauna, his experimental tasting venue. He has turned his focus to hospitality and consulting on projects like Ventana, leaving restaurant ownership behind. Pyles also participates in culinary travel trips with Paula Lambert and David Morris International.

Known as the “father of modern and Texas Southwest cuisine,” Pyles did see a lot of turnover with chefs at Flora Street Cafe. Since its inception in 2016, there have been several chefs including Diego Fernandez, Peter Barlow and Tim Byres at the helm of the kitchen.

The reimagined Stampede 66, which moved to Allen a year ago, is still open and Pyles will remain involved. Here, you can still find the Southwestern flair that make Pyles such an influential chef in Dallas, you just have to travel a bit further north. It’s the only place left to find his iconic Heaven and Hell cake.

From Routh Street Cafe to Fauna, Pyles has been a giant in the Dallas restaurant scene, mentoring younger chefs such as Matt McCallister (Homewood, Commons Club) and Alex Astranti (Uchi). But, we’ll still see Pyles around the restaurant world as he continues his consulting and licensing agreements. He just will no longer own any restaurants of his own.

“I would like to thank the city and my long-time loyal patrons for such an incredible gastronomic ride,” Pyles says. “I also would like to thank the thousands of staff members I have employed, many of whom have become family, for their dedication and respect.

“I have certainly left the restaurant world in a better place than I found it 36 years ago.”