Don’t worry pizza fans, while Papa John’s is closing its Gaston location as of Friday, the local franchise will reopen on Greenville and Vanderbilt soon.
“They tell us it’ll open in about a month,” says general manager Brent Mantooth, adding that every employee in the business will keep their job. “We’re all being moved to different stores until the new one opens.”
Mantooth cited steep overhead expenses as the reason the store was re-locating. “The rent is just too high, we pay three times as much as the other [Papa John’s] stores in Dallas. Plus, it’s too much space, we have an entire room we don’t use,” he says, adding that he was unclear whether there was a recent rent hike that made the location too pricey after more than 20 years on Gaston.
“I know we were month-to-month on our lease,” Mantooth says. “It was one of the original franchises in Dallas.”
But the site at 6324 Gaston Avenue won’t be vacant for long. Craft Beer Cellars, a Massachusetts-based franchise that launched in 2010 and has since expanded rapidly, plans to open in the coming months.
A notice outside the building showcases their application for a permit to serve alcohol. According to their Facebook page, they signed the lease on Jan. 20, but have not publicized an opening date (an email to Craft Beer Cellars were not immediately returned.)
The beer-focused business model prides itself on a rotating selection of American craft brew, while some locations also offer beer education and other programs for aficionados.
Papa John’s is one of three Lakewood Shopping Center businesses to close this week. Dixie House will sell its last plates on Friday after losing its lease. Unleashed by Petco always struggled to find its footing due to poor visibility, and after two years, is throwing in the doggy towels as of Saturday.
