A beloved Arlington cafe says goodbye: ‘It was a crazy idea and we’ve had a great run’
Fork in the Road has reached it.
After a nine-year struggle, the eclectic central Arlington gourmet sandwich shop known for burgers and mac-and-three-cheese “crack-a-roni” will close Saturday, Dec. 3, chef Josh Hopkins said.
High food costs, the lack of help and the exhaustion of running a small restaurant figured into Hopkins’ decision not to renew the lease at 1821 S. Fielder Road, he said.
“When gasoline was $5 a gallon, food prices went up, too,” he said Monday after announcing the closing on social media.
“But now, gasoline is under $3, but nobody’s prices are down. And you still can’t find what you need.”
Hopkins, a veteran of Dallas restaurants such as the Green Room and chef Stephan Pyles’ Star Canyon, opened the shop in 2014 to branch out with his own chef-driven burger-and-sandwich grill.
“It was a crazy idea, and we’ve had a great run,” he said. “I’m proud of what we built. I’m super happy about what we’ve done for Arlington.”
Fork in the Road received a transfusion of support in June, when local Facebook foodie groups rallied around it as the No. 1 small, locally owned cafe in a city known for unique little burger grills and ethnic restaurants.
But business “died down again,” Hopkins said.
Since he announced the closing, he has received bitter social media complaints from customers who came back once or twice.
“They thought that was enough,” he said. “But we’ve been living on the edge the last three years. It’s just us. We’re exhausted”
Fork in the Road will open regular hours this week: lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday; forkintheroadarlington.com.
