Here’s to Veterans

Katrina and Travis Carpenter cut the ribbon on their revamped eponymous cafe in October, and the event was both a celebration of the expanded seating and bar area and their actual grand opening, four years in. Carpenter’s Cafe (1116 Pennsylvania Av, Fort Worth, 682-499-8630) definitely counts as a veteran establishment, having opened in February 2020 after transitioning from an Airstream trailer on South Main Street. Before the Carpenters could celebrate their grand opening, the restaurant, along with every other spot in the county, was closed, then limited to takeout options for most of that year.

A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the fragility of the restaurant industry (“Stalwarts and Legends,” Oct. 16). Most new eateries fail within the first three years. The Carpenters managed to avoid becoming a statistic through a combo of catering gigs, word of mouth, an attempt at Sunday Suppers, and location (across from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital on the South Side, and scrubs have to eat). All crises pass, and the Carpenters were ready to turn their formal 1-year anniversary into an opening day. Enter: Winter Storm Uri, which dumped a record amount of snow and ice over all 254 Texas counties in February 2021. In addition to causing real catastrophes in Fort Worth (six people died, and more than 30 were injured on black ice-covered roads), the wicked weather shut down the first year/opening day festivities. Katrina is a force –– when the horrific weather snowed on her parade, she was canvassing grocery stores for milk to help fellow restaurateur Mia Moss continue to run her shop, Black Coffee.

The Carpenters’ storefront has been undergoing a refresh and renovation (including a crowd-funded patio) for what seems like forever, so it was with no small amount of joy that a group of family and friends got to celebrate last week. The freshened-up space makes for a lovely, comfy, restful oasis. A wall of photos in the hallway showcases family –– the Carpenters’ twins, who helped open the cafe in 2020, and Katrina’s mother Sharon, who has her own group of fans. The Carpenters have also included a picture of the Weekly’s cover story from 2020 in their family gallery: Katrina said we were the first to cover them and credits the publicity for the consistency of takeout orders during that difficult first year.

Since it’s almost Veterans Day (Monday, Nov. 11, this year), people who are veterans and those like me who are veteran-adjacent look around for the celebratory meals that honor the people who’ve served our country. And there are plenty –– but my veteran hubby doesn’t drink Starbucks or Dunkin’, and he won’t go to Hooters, so instead of looking for freebies this year, what about supporting an actual veteran-owned food or drink establishment? While there are apparently a substantial number of veteran-owned firing ranges and security companies in the 817, there appear to be few restaurants owned by veterans.

Texas Drip (404 Main St, Ste 104, Azle, 817-406-4110) is a veteran-owned establishment that followed the Carpenter’s formula: Start in a food truck, then move to a brick-and-mortar spot. The coffee shop opened in September, and they’re heavy on the Azle Hornets fandom along with homemade breakfast and brunch sammies. You can find pulled pork (taco or sandwich), egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad sandwiches, all at an unheard-of $5.50 with a bag of chips, people. The drip coffee (Freedom Blend, natch, roasted in-state) is smoothly drinkable on its own. Mochas, cappuccinos, lattes, and cold-foam accessories are all under $6.

Another option to pay it forward to a veteran-owned restaurant: The Patriotic Pig Smokehouse (3900 Rufe Snow Dr, North Richland Hills, 817-601-5256) was started by an Army veteran in 2016, which classifies this as a veteran establishment twice over. The Patriotic Pig also grew from a food truck to catering to a brick-and-mortar store. The restaurant was spotlighted in Texas Monthly last year for their surprising following as wedding caterers.

Make it a point this month to stop by a locally owned restaurant –– maybe one of your veteran favorites or maybe one owned by a veteran. “Thank you for your service” means more when you’re shopping someone’s small business.