A California restaurant brand known for being a stronghold with the LGBTQ community is in full retreat from the Lone Star State. The last remaining Hamburger Mary’s shuttered after an eight-year run in Texas. The move comes at a contentious time for the LGBTQ population across the state, while at the same time, skyrocketing rents have proven to be offensive to nearly everybody.
The Dallas Voice first reported that Hamburger Mary’s at 4123 Cedar Springs Rd. in Dallas closed earlier this week. Co-franchisees Donald Smith and Romeo Vale, who took over the reins in January, told the outlet that they had tried to make it work but couldn’t. The pair is moving back to Houston with plans to return with a new concept in a few years.
The first Hamburger Mary’s opened in the early 1900s in San Francisco, but the modern version we all know today opened in 1972. The late-night burger spot became known for championing members of the LGBTQ community, having a so-called “flamboyant” aesthetic and regularly hosting drag performances. It expanded with locally owned franchise locations across the country, though Hamburger Mary’s doesn’t consider itself a “chain”; currently, there are nine locations nationwide…