Iconic Lakeway eatery Fore closes
Fore restaurant, located in the Lakeway Commons Shopping Center, closed Oct. 23.
On Sunday, Fore owners James Dinwoodie and Ose Edebor closed the Lakeway Commons shopping center restaurant for the last time.
Fore, located at 900 S. RR 620, Ste. B108, Lakeway, opened in 2011 and offered hamburgers, steaks and seafood as well as a DJ on Friday evenings and special events on holidays.
Dinwoodie said the opening of 10 new restaurants in the area following the summer season that normally sees a decrease in Fore’s business volume “spread out an already thin crowd” and forced the eatery’s closure.
“Unfortunately, we just ran out of money,” he said.
The present state of the Lakeway Commons shopping center—being half empty—added to the downfall of the restaurant, and the city may have done a poor job managing its economic growth while ensuring the stability of its longtime smaller businesses, Dinwoodie said.
“It’s easier [for a new establishment] to move into a new area than into an existing space,” he said.
Citing the challenge Lakeway businesses face in attracting patrons from the Steiner Ranch and Westlake areas, Dinwoodie said small businesses have difficulty surviving in the region.
“I urge the city of Lakeway residents to support the small businesses that made an investment in the area,” he said.
Currently, there are no plans to reopen Fore or another restaurant in a new location, Dinwoodie said.
“We had great food, atmosphere and staff,” he said. “It is just unfortunate the business was not there this year. A lot of [small businesses] are going to be struggling like us—I hope people can use [our closure] as a cautionary tale to support Santa Catarina, The League and Cafe Blue.”