Lambert, Reale exit Roy Pope Grocery partnership 

Lambert, Reale exit Roy Pope Grocery partnership 

The Roy Pope Grocery at 2300 Merrick St. reopened in 2022. (Fort Worth Report | Bob Francis)
” data-medium-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240208_121309-scaled.jpg?fit=300%2C225&quality=89&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240208_121309-scaled.jpg?fit=780%2C585&quality=89&ssl=1″>
The partnership that revived one of Fort Worth’s iconic neighborhood grocery stores and an equally-beloved Near Southside diner is making some changes. 

Lou Lambert and Chris Reale are departing the Roy Pope Grocery partnership, while the third founder, Mark Harris, plans to bring on new investors. The three remain partners on the Paris Coffee Shop project. 

“I’m really proud of the care and effort we put into the remodeling of Roy Pope, of the team we built and the relationship we have with the neighborhood,” said Reale, in a statement. 

Sponsored

Reale had been working as managing partner at both Roy Pope and the Paris Coffee Shop since 2021.

Reale, Lambert and Harris bought the 1943 corner grocery, which had become an institution on the westside but closed in 2020. The refurbished grocery reopened in May 2021. 

See also  Tarrant small-business resource at risk of shutting down without local champion 

While continuing to offer produce, grocery shelf items, butcher counter goods and a curated beer and wine selection, the new ownership expanded ready-made meal offerings to eat on-site or take home. A coffee and wine bar and barbecue were added. 

Sponsored

“We feel like we did a good job of keeping a period esthetic and retaining the longtime customer base, as well as draw so many new customers from all walks of life, while making it approachable for younger clientele, too,” said Lambert, who has been a chef at Reata and also co-founded Dutch’s Hamburgers near TCU. 

Following the Roy Pope project, the team tackled the Paris Coffee Shop on the city’s Near Southside. The historic breakfast and lunch spot at 704 W. Magnolia St. reopened in May 2022. 

“At Paris, we’re planning more private dining in our Magnolia Room, more custom catering for events and additional evening buyouts for parties,” said Lambert. 

Lambert and Reale last year opened Westfork Fitness, a workout facility in the River District at 4661 White Settlement Road. This spring, the duo will break ground on a 10,000-plus-square-foot gym across the street from the existing site. Meanwhile, they are also working on a bar concept, Reale said. 

See also  Fort Worth confirms plan to lease city property, contribute $15M for Juneteenth museum

Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *