Paris Coffee Shop

Last updated
Paris Coffee Shop
Restaurant information
Established1926 (1926)
Food type American cuisine
Location704 West Magnolia Ave, Fort Worth, Texas

Paris Coffee Shop is a diner in Fort Worth, Texas. It was founded in 1926 by namesake Vic Paris.

Contents

Description

The restaurant has mid-century themed decor and booth seating. [1] It is known as a diner and lunch room. [2] The restaurant is known for serving pies, chicken and dumplings, [3] and blue-plate specials. [4]

History

The restaurant is one of the oldest in Fort Worth. [5] It was founded in 1926 by Vic Paris. He sold it to Grigonos [3] "Greg" Asikis. [6] He had immigrated from Greece to the United States when he was a teenager and worked as a dishwasher. He changed his surname to "Smith" to avoid discrimination. He bought the Paris Coffee Shop from Vic Paris in 1930. [7]

In 1965, Greg became ill and his son Mike Smith took over management of the restaurant. [6] Mike had been studying for a master's degree at University of North Texas when Greg began to suffer from Parkinson's disease, which led Mike to return and help at the restaurant. [8] In 1974, Mike moved the restaurant a block west of its original location on Magnolia Avenue and Hemphill Street, into a former Safeway grocery store building. [4]

In 2021, Mike Smith retired [8] and sold the restaurant to Lou Lambert, Chris Reale, and Mark Harris. [3] They renovated the restaurant based on historical photos of the original location. [9] [10]

References

  1. ↑ Ellington, Michael (2025-06-02). "Fort Worth's Best Classic Restaurants". Eater Dallas. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  2. ↑ Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2005-04-12). Roadfood: The Coast-To-Coast Guide to 500 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More. Broadway Books. p. 498. ISBN   978-0-7679-2264-7.
  3. 1 2 3 Blaskovich, Sarah (2022-05-19). "Fort Worth's oldest restaurant, Paris Coffee Shop, has reopened". Dallas News. Archived from the original on 2022-06-02. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  4. 1 2 Release, Press (2022-05-19). "Fort Worth's iconic Paris Coffee Shop reopens on Near Southside". Fort Worth Report. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  5. ↑ Gleaves, Spray (2014-02-20). "20 Oldest". Fort Worth Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  6. 1 2 Simmons, Linda Blackwell (2017-05-16). "A Day in the Life of Paris Coffee Shop Owner Mike Smith". Fort Worth Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  7. ↑ Smith-Rodgers, Sheryl (2000-06-01). Texas Old-Time Restaurants & Cafes. Simon and Schuster. pp. 28–29. ISBN   978-1-4616-2549-0.
  8. 1 2 "'Mike's last day.' Owner of Fort Worth's Paris Coffee Shop retires after 55 years". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 17, 2021.
  9. ↑ Dabney, Courtney (2022-04-15). "Legendary Fort Worth Diner On the Verge of Reopening — Restored and Revitalized Paris Coffee Shop to Return". PaperCity Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
  10. ↑ Mayhew, Malcolm (2022-05-18). "The Rebirth of Paris Coffee Shop". Fort Worth Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-16.
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