Heim Barbecue is winding down its West Magnolia Avenue run, with the dining room set to close Feb. 1, 2026, as the owners pivot to a smaller, lower-priced concept called Heim Pig Stand. The popular Fort Worth barbecue brand will tighten its footprint around its River District and Weatherford locations and try out the pig-stand format at short-term sites this spring, a shift the owners say comes in response to changing costs and dining habits.
Co-owner Will Churchill told Fort Worth Report that staff at the West Magnolia restaurant were notified Monday. He said the decision was driven by the high cost of tearing down and rebuilding the aging smokehouse, along with slipping sales at the location. About 30 employees were affected, according to Churchill, and the owners have hired a broker to market the Magnolia property while they retool the business model.
Heim’s Fort Worth story is familiar to local barbecue fans. The operation started as a trailer in 2015, then graduated to a brick-and-mortar spot on Magnolia Avenue in 2016, before expanding to the River District. Fort Worth Magazine reported that the River District location at 5333 White Settlement Road opened only after the Heims navigated zoning rules and smokehouse allowances. The group has since added a Dallas outpost and a newer Weatherford location that executives have positioned for growth.
Heim Pig Stand: A No-Frills Lunch Test
The new low-price pilot, dubbed Heim Pig Stand, is scheduled to start March 4 on roughly 3.5 acres along Camp Bowie West Boulevard in the Westland area, across from JD’s Hamburgers and Margie’s Italian Gardens, Churchill said. Fort Worth Report says the stripped-down menu will feature a pulled-pork or chopped-beef sandwich, a choice of sides and banana pudding for about $12–$15, served Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Each pop-up run is expected to last roughly three weeks to a month before the team decides on next steps.
Staff, Franchise And The Future
Churchill told Fort Worth Report that “Fort Worth may have too much barbecue,” and said the company will rebrand its food truck as Heim Pig Stand while concentrating sit-down service at the River District and Weatherford locations. The Dallas Mockingbird restaurant that opened in 2020 will be transferred to a longtime employee, who plans to operate it as a franchisee, according to the owners. Management has framed the pig-stand tests as a way to hit a lower price point without pouring money into rebuilding large smokehouses.
Where This Fits In The Local Scene
The Magnolia closure follows the shutdown of a Burleson outpost late last year and the company’s signal that Weatherford would be a focus going forward, a pattern that CultureMap Fort Worth says reflects price sensitivity in some suburban markets. CultureMap reported that the Burleson location struggled with average ticket prices that were too high for its market, which helped push the owners toward a leaner model. The pig-stand concept is designed to offer a simpler, quicker meal that still showcases Heim’s smoked meats…