Michelin Recognized Duro Hospitality Debuts Its First Fort Worth Restaurant — A Look Inside The Chumley House

If any local hospitality group is having a good month, it’s Dallas’ Duro Hospitality, whose Mister Charles and El Carlos Elegante both just secured spots on Michelin’s “Recommended” list. Considering the buzzy success of all four Duro restaurants, it’s hard to believe these guys opened their first one, The Charles, only six years ago. In addition to The Charles, Mister Charles, El Carlos Elegante, and Sister, Duro owns the hotel Casa Duro and the coffee shop Café Duro. And now a stone’s throw from the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, The Chumley House — a “European-inspired steakhouse with British flair” is now open.

The Inspiration

Named in memory of partner Chas Martin’s beloved French herding dog, The Chumley House is Duro’s first venture outside of Dallas. Martin and another of Duro’s five partners, Benji Homsey, have deep ties to Cowtown — Martin grew up there, and Homsey is a TCU graduate. 

When they decided on a location, although they briefly considered opening an offshoot of Sister, it didn’t feel right to make their Fort Worth debut with a Dallas restaurant. Fort Worth (as many Fort Worth locals are fond of pointing out) is not Dallas. “We’re not the cavalry rolling in,” Martin tells PaperCity.

A year and a half ago, they found inspiration while eating their way through London — not because of the British cuisine, but because the dining scene there reflects the multicultural character of the city. They liked the idea of creating a restaurant that pulled in a variety of influences.

“It’s not that Fort Worth screams ‘London’ or ‘European-inspired steakhouse,’” says Homsey, “but we wanted to do something the Fort Worth demographic would understand that would also allow us to be interesting and make left turns on the menu.” 

Hence, a steakhouse that’s also…other things.

The Chumley House Menu

The Chumley House’s menu does indeed have that “British flare.” The meal starts with fresh scones and rose lychee tea. Then there’s Beef Wellington, of course. And Tallow Pop-Overs. The Butter Chicken Pie (“a show stopper,” Homsey calls it) is a nod to London’s sizable Indian diaspora and a response to what they saw as a hole in the market: “The Metroplex doesn’t have a ton of great Indian food,” Homsey says.

But the restaurant is more generally European than British. “You’re not going to see British flags,” Homsey says. “You’re not going to see Winston Churchill artifacts.”

“There’s pasta,” Martin says. “There’s steak, there’s French influence, there’s Mediterranean influence.” 

There’s also, lest diners forget that they’re just a few miles from the Stockyards, a steak program that includes plenty of Texas Wagyu, a dry-aged prime bone-in rib eye, and a prime short rib. 

The sleek dessert menu offers Sticky Toffee Pudding with rum caramel and gelato, Ice Box Pie with blackberry marmalade, and Biscoff Trifle with tequila and espresso crumble. 

The Design

Located across the street from The Crescent Hotel in the Crescent’s mixed-use office space, The Chumley House, like all of Duro’s restaurants, is an aesthetic feat. The partners hope that an evening there will feel like dining in the flat of a well-traveled British executive.

Two other Duro partners, Corbin and Ross See of Sees Design, along with Patrick Craine of Dallas architectural firm Practice, envisioned something posh yet modern. “We lean into design,” Homsey says. “We always want to transport our guests somewhere else.” 

The challenge of this space was being in a contemporary office building surrounded by glass and steel. A London restaurant called Lutyen’s Grill at the Ned, set in a former bank, inspired a few ideas — namely, rich stained wood juxtaposed with modern lighting.

The 3,500 square-foot space incorporates a 1,500 square-foot kitchen; a bar; the main dining room, called the Trellis Room that seats 40, where the booths are printed with mallard ducks; a private dining room, where plaid Scottish rugs warm the floor; and the cozy, library-like Study, complete with mahogany crown molding and wall paneling, a fireplace, wooden flooring, and leather banquettes for 16. An outdoor patio will accommodate another 25 diners. 

The Future of Duro Hospitality

It might come as no surprise that the guys who just opened three hit restaurants in two years have a couple more plans. They’ll open a restaurant in Dallas next summer and then another in May 2026 (they’re not revealing details about either one). But mostly, they’re trying to focus on the restaurants that already exist.

“You don’t make money opening restaurants,” Martin says. “You make money by operating them.”

On that note, they offer a pro tip. If ever you can’t get a table at a Duro spot, “Call the restaurant,” Homsey says. “We’ll probably find a way to get you in.” (Our sources can attest to this.)

“It’s hard to open one really good restaurant,” Homsey says. “Chas and I are approaching exhaustion. We’re looking to take some time off.”

We’ll believe it when we see it.