San Antonio Chef Reflects on Restaurant Closures and Industry Struggles

Multiple restaurants in San Antonio have announced closures this year, highlighting significant challenges in the dining industry. Local chef Jason Dady, who operates several establishments in the area, recently closed Jardín at the San Antonio Botanical Garden this summer. Dady emphasizes that while many view restaurant closures negatively, they can sometimes lead to positive outcomes.

“A lot of people look at closing restaurants as a big negative,” Dady noted. “And sometimes it can be a positive, or at least I think that’s our approach.” He elaborated that closures can occur for various reasons, including poor location or operational decisions. “I’ve also had a lot of restaurants that I’ve closed just because we felt that it wasn’t smart for us to continue,” he added.

Dady leads the Jason Dady Restaurant Group, which includes five restaurants along with catering and event services across San Antonio. He shared insights with KSAT 12, noting that each restaurant closure carries its own unique circumstances. For instance, community favorite Good Time Charlie’s Bar and Cafe, which operated for over 45 years, closed after its property was sold to the nearby DoSeum. Despite speculation, one of the bar’s co-founders clarified that the sale did not influence their decision to shut down.

“It’s really unfair for people to point fingers and say, ‘Oh, you know, I went there and it was terrible, that’s why they’re out of business,’” Dady expressed. “You have no idea why or how they went out of business.”

The Texas Restaurant Association has reported that the industry is currently experiencing significant difficulties. According to spokesperson Kelsey Erickson Streufert, financial pressures on Texas families have resulted in reduced discretionary spending on dining out.

Several restaurants in San Antonio have shut their doors in 2025, including Bandit BBQ and Burgers, Carriqui at the Pearl, and Dry Dock Oyster Bar, among others. Dady described the past summer as particularly challenging, stating, “We just came out of what I believe to be the slowest summer I’ve seen in probably 20 years. Everybody’s hurting. You’re not alone. Everybody’s restaurants are slower than they were last year.”

To navigate these tough times, Dady emphasizes a disciplined approach to financial management and prioritizing customer experience. “You just got to buckle down, be smart with every dollar, and take care of the guests,” he said.

With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant sector, Dady has encountered a wide range of challenges. “I mean, 25 restaurants in 25 years, I’ve had great successes and I’ve had failures and I have had the tears,” he reflected. “I have learned more from my closures than I have from my great successes because you learn that that didn’t work or that’s not really working here, but maybe we can use that here.”

Dady believes that genuine hospitality is crucial for maintaining successful restaurants. “The best advice I could ever give is you’ve got to take care of the people that are walking in that door,” he stated. “That’s why it takes that team mentality of understanding about hospitality, being genuine to who you are, and building that culture is what makes great restaurants. It’s the culture within the walls.”

As the San Antonio dining scene continues to evolve, the reflections of chefs like Jason Dady shed light on the resilience and adaptability required to thrive in a challenging environment.