by Steven Doyle
We recently wrote about Next Door and have enjoyed several excellent meals at the Uptown restaurant including a seriously good brunch. Sadly, we hear today that they will be closing their doors next week and not due to much of anything except a ruling by the Dallas Fire Marshall.
Next Door is a cute restaurant that serves some kicked up food with unique twists, such as their now famed exploding hot cheesy bun burger. Everyone enjoyed this, we enjoyed this. But the real cash cow for this restaurant was in the nightclub upstairs called the Key Club. After an inspection recently the Fire Marshall determined that a new fire system would need to be installed which involved digging to a line across McKinney Avenue. This eventually proved impossible and so goes the baby, bath water, jobs and whatever else lays in the path of this closure.
All this after a string of restaurants in the same location that have not been able to make it work. We are not sure where the Fire Marshall was during all these attempts, or even when Next Door opened last year. I would be steamed after losing an investment like Next Door.
Below is a statement from owner Sam Sameni:
As most of you know, the Fire Marshall has forbid us from using the upstairs of Next Door for a while now. We have tried vigorously to find a way around it but it is just not possible. That being said, the current concept does not make sense without the use of the second floor and therefore, we have decided to close Next Door/Key Club. This Sunday night will be the last night of operations. Come on out one last time and enjoy our amazing food and rage with us this weekend! Thank you all for your support and stay tuned for an upcoming announcement.
