After two years of being in business, Diner Bar, described as casual fine dining, and The Grey Market, more grab-and-go style, by James Beard award winning chef Mashama Bailey will be closing their doors next Monday, July 15, with their final day of service being the previous day, Sunday, July 14. This news comes as a surprise but was also foreshadowed in 2023.
Both restaurants are located inside the Thompson Hotel in downtown Austin, the same hotel that closed a seemingly thriving rooftop restaurant and bar, Wax Myrtle’s, late 2023, stating that the hotel would be opening an in-house restaurant there instead. This is the same reasoning that was given for the closure of Diner Bar and The Grey Market because Thompson Hotel’s parent company, Hyatt Hotels, has decided to internalize restaurants at all of its locations.
We spoke with Chef Bailey in the Fall of 2023, and she told us about her business partner, John O. Morisano, and her planning to open their first restaurant in Paris, France, which is where her love for food and the culinary arts began. Those plans are still in place, and the restaurant is scheduled to open late 2024 or early 2025. As for Austin, Chef Bailey stated, “Our Grey Spaces team has loved our time in Austin, the great folks with whom we have worked, and our collaboration with Thompson.” She and her partner plan to focus on the opening and operating of the new Paris restaurant, whose name is unknown to the public at this time, for the time being.
To show support for the two restaurants during their five remaining nights of service, patrons can make a reservation for Diner Bar or just drop by Grey Market. Both establishments will be sorely missed by the Austin foodie community.
Diner Bar and The Grey Market are located at 500 San Jacinto Blvd & E 5th St., Austin, TX.
Diner Bar’s hours of operation are 5pm-10pm nightly for dinner or 4pm-10pm at the bar with a 4pm-6pm happy hour Monday through Friday and an all night happy hour on Sundays.
The Grey Market is open daily, 7am-10am for breakfast, and 11am-4pm for lunch.
