Lower Greenville is losing one of its culinary standouts: Rye, the Michelin-recommended restaurant, announced it will close its doors on Saturday, March 7. In a swift turn, its sister concept Apothecary will take over the space, with plans to expand into the location and reopen a week later on Friday, March 13.
“To allow Apothecary and Rye to grow individually into the concepts we know they can become, our teams and spaces need to become more separated, with knowledge and resources dedicated to each concept individually,” said Tanner Agar, CEO and Creative Director of Rye and Apothecary, in a statement. “Apothecary is taking over the full space because we feel that Lower Greenville is the appropriate home for it.”
Founded by chef Jeff Qualls, Rye first opened in historic Downtown McKinney in 2015. In 2018, the restaurant was acquired by Agar, Nic Cain, and executive chef Taylor Rause. Celebrated for its seasonal, farm-driven cuisine and inventive tasting menus, Rye later expanded with a second location on Lower Greenville in 2021; its sister concept, Apothecary, debuted the same year alongside the Dallas outpost. In 2022, a devastating fire forced the permanent closure of the original flagship restaurant.
Over the past four years, the Lower Greenville restaurant developed a reputation for pushing culinary boundaries with dishes such as edible napkins, rave-worthy wagyu beef hot dogs, and tasting menus that featured proteins rarely seen in Dallas such as kangaroo, served as kangaroo tartare with rye shortbread, ají amarillo passion fruit and parsley leaf.
In 2024, Rye gained national attention when bar manager Julian Shaffer received the Michelin Guide Texas Exceptional Cocktails Award in the guide’s inaugural year. Praised for its “sexy, cozy vibe,” “unrestrained” cuisine, and “wide-ranging inspirations”, the restaurant earned Michelin recommendations in both 2024 and 2025.
Last spring, Rye was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in the episode “Sauerkraut, Shoyo, and Shank” during which host Guy Fieri sampled Rye’s sauerkraut cake and pork belly lollipops.
Following a wave of accolades, this announcement has sent shockwaves through Dallas, but Apothecary’s future looks bright.
“It was a difficult decision, but we feel like it was the right move for us,” Agar said. “Apothecary will now be able to execute things people have been asking us to do since we opened: serve larger groups, host more private and public events, and offer some more casual Greenville Ave. friendly drinks in a space for those just looking to pop in. We plan to do this and more while remaining true to our Apothecary style.”
The former Rye dining room will transform into the bar’s main room, complete with lounge seating and tables that promise to carry over Apothecary’s moody aesthetic. The current Apothecary space will evolve into an exclusive back room for cocktail connoisseurs to delve into venturesome mixology, and a reservation-only omakase cocktail experience.
Rye will continue serving its Ancient Grains tasting menu through Sunday, January 25, and on Tuesday, January 27, the restaurant will bow out with a final “Day 1” tasting menu, revisiting dishes from 2018 reworked through Rye’s refined skills, honed over the last eight years. Reservations are available online.
Apothecary will continue to honor Rye’s legacy with pop-ups and collaborative chef dinners every six to eight weeks.
“Rye isn’t gone forever, but we do hope you’ll come see us to celebrate 8 years before this big change takes place,” Agar said.
Rye, 1920 Greenville Ave., Dallas, rye.restaurant
