A shocking five venues and bars in the metroplex have recently announced their closures. Lola’s in Fort Worth revealed on December 5 that its last day of operation was November 29. Hank’s Texas Grill in McKinney posted on its Facebook page that it will shut down after a final event on New Year’s Eve. Thunderbird Station in Deep Ellum, Dallas, closed its doors on November 28 after three years in operation.

On November 26, Downtown Cowtown at The Isis in Fort Worth also announced its immediate closure. Twilite Lounge in Fort Worth declared that December 5 would be its last day of operation, with this announcement made on November 30.

Locals of Texas stated that these venues often charged over $100 just to enter to see some bands, as well as charging a lot for alcohol, therefore a night out could cost upwards of $200, just for a few hours of fun. This is quite expensive, even for the more affluent customers. Most of these venues relied on a combination of happy hours, events, and live music patrons to attract crowds. Many attributed their closure to slower business and higher overall costs of goods.

The fact that interest rates have risen and Americans’ disposable income has decreased, has no doubt had a hugely negative effect on the industry as a whole.