12/23/2024
Dear Mason & Dixie community,
I have read many restaurant closure announcements over the years and in the back of my mind have always wondered if I would ever be writing one
I always tried to read between the lines and attempted to decipher the tone of the owner penning the letter. Is it one of relief, sadness, joy, sheer resignation, or more likely a mix?
Well, here is mine, as I sit and write and rewrite, it is still surreal-and so you won’t have to wonder or read between the lines, I am writing this with nothing but sadness and heartbreak
What began as a 6 table restaurant in an antique market became a destination for scratch food made with love, I give immense thanks to everyone who has dined with us, whether you've been dining with us for years or recently found us. I am so humbled and grateful for your continued support, your loyalty is what kept me in business and I am truly honored to have served you. You trusted us with your most treasured events: birthday celebrations, graduation dinners, first dates, marriage proposals, weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, wedding receptions, baby showers, children growing up, celebrations of life, and blessing us with totally extraordinary everyday moments
It is with profound regret and a heavy heart that I announce the closure of Mason & Dixie.
We will be open for lunch 11am-4pm Tuesday, December 24 & our last day on December 26th 11am-4pm
In order to combat the gossip and misinformation circulating, here is a detailed overview of this year:
This past February, I was contacted by the new landlord and asked to submit a profit and loss statement. They stated they needed it, as they were considering investing in the building and offering to run gas into my suite as well as construct a more conducive infrastructure for true restaurant equipment. My current kitchen, the one that I have cooked out of for 7.5 years does not have gas, it is so small -only three people can fit at a time, the breakers trip if we have more than one panini press plugged in, etc- which is why we can’t do a delivery platform service, cater, etc; because there is no room and it is not a commercial kitchen by any standard (in case you ever wondered why we operate the way we do)
I submitted my P&L based on a good faith basis and trusted the communication I was given and was excited at the prospect to finally have any money put into my space, as I have done all renovations in my time there and scraped together over $40k of personal money for the improvements for the two suites. The landlord has never contributed any money on renovations or paid for anything that was broken
I was personally contacted by an associate of Longview Equity out of Austin in July and was told that I was not going to be given the opportunity to renew my lease and would need to vacate at the end of the year. The profit and loss statement I sent in hope of the prospect of investment into the building was actually a ploy to see if my small business earnings could withstand the plans they had to almost double my current rent, which it clearly did not
I sent an email begging them to reconsider, as I had a contract from a buyer to purchase Mason & Dixie which would keep my employees jobs as well as keep the concept alive and well
The buyer gave detailed plans to invest in the building which would translate to an increased potential for financial gains and thus the ability to pay the outrageous rent increase that is not based on any improvements to the building or market shifts
In September, after weeks of further ignored texts, emails, and phone calls I was told they reneged on their agreement to consider my buyer and let me know that I would be evicted at the end of December
In October they hired a commercial realtor in Dallas (Jake Burns) to handle the transaction for the buildings
I reached out to him and asked if he had ever done business in Grapevine and asked if he was familiar with the city, my business, and what we believe in- which is “small business owners along Main Street executing businesses that make our great city proud”
I was ignored for awhile and finally sent a “hail Mary” text and finally received a response
Jake, vetted and approved my buyer and said he would let us all know by Thanksgiving what they decided
He gave me yet another bout of false hope as he reassured me that my buyer was the top applicant for the space- giving me false hope & peace that God had handled this situation for me and all who are dependent on this business to put food on their table
Thanksgiving came and went as my texts and calls remained unanswered and the future of me and my employees livelihood remained in limbo
Another buyer found me through a different business broker in November, someone who would have been an incredible purveyor and restauranteur, from Paris, France (Mayfair Garden, Chef Noman Nawaz)
They/we sent countless emails, texts, phone calls, left voicemails, sent financials and all necessary paperwork for approval, that more than met the criteria and STILL couldn’t receive a reply
The sale of the business had evolved into a last ditch effort to keep my employees jobs and the concept alive, as the deal would not have even covered the monetary value I had personally contributed to the building and business
To this day, I still have no written communication denying my buyers-the denial was communicated through a 10 second voicemail that I discovered days later after inquiring once again via email about the future of the last 11 years of my life to which I received a text “Did you get my voicemail?” after I sent another email asking about an electrician who came in and TOLD MY EMPLOYEES HE WAS THERE TO DO WORK TO SPLIT UP THE SUITES!
My two buyers and their seasoned brokers have never, ever seen anything like this. The lack of professionalism is unparalleled - the lack of caring and cavalier attitude is repulsive- to keep hope alive over and over and not even acknowledge with any form of communication or inform me of a plan is still incomprehensible
I have lost many nights sleep and heavily battled depression this year, at the prospect of laying off employees at Christmas time and letting 11 years of blood, sweat, and tears just go down the drain and having no idea how I would possibly get my two suites emptied by 12/31 and having no plan for income for myself and my daughter who depends on me
I am not sure what my next chapter brings, but from the bottom of my heart, I cannot write enough heartfelt thank you’s to all who have supported, both near and far
And the biggest thank you to my children, who instilled the deep love of cooking, as a true form of love and memory making
If there is any furniture, lighting, or wares, you have pictured in your own home over the years, please reach out via email, everything is for sale (Zelle and Venmo only and you must have a way to get it home by 12/30) and I am overwhelmed by the prospect of what to do with all the items. Take a piece of Mason & Dixie home forever and please forgive the tear stains
Sincerely,
Beth
PS. I am truly overwhelmed with the outpouring from everyone - this has been a very lonely process being bullied all year, to lose everything I have built in the end, and to scramble to empty the building is overwhelming
So many people are offering help and encouraged me to add my Venmo to help with the cost of moving and emptying the building
I am thankful from the bottom of my heart, forever 🙏🩷
https://venmo.com/u/Beth-Newman-9
A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LANDLORD
THEY ARE LONGVIEW EQUITY OUT OF AUSTIN
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL
[email protected]
