Bar owner blames closure of Frankie's sports bar in Fort Worth on Affordable Care Act

Frankie's is down to one sports bar in North Texas.

Owners Bill and Johnnie Katz closed the Fort Worth restaurant and bar in Fort Worth near Sundance Square. The newish Frankie's in downtown Dallas is the group's only remaining bar.

The decision to close in Fort Worth was mostly political, the owners write.

"Several factors led to this decision," reads a statement on Frankie's Facebook page, "but the proverbial straw was brought on by the Affordable Care Act. If we were to stay in business, there was no way for us to have borne the weight of the oppressive penalties for failing to comply with the mandates of that legislature. Therefore, another establishment goes out of business. Over fifty people lose their jobs. Suppliers and vendors lose the revenue of our account. Loyal patrons have one less option for dining out."

The owners thanked their patrons, their landlord and the city for supporting the bar, which opened in March 2011.

The Katzes once owned a Frankie's in Uptown Dallas, which was then one of the city's busiest sports bars. It closed in 2013 and reopened in mid 2015 in downtown Dallas. The Lewisville Frankie's closed in April 2015 because the building was demolished and replaced with a ramp to Interstate 35E.

"We will miss you all," the owners write. "Thanks for everything, Fort Worth."

For more news about bars in Dallas-Fort Worth, visit guidelive.com/bars-and-cocktails.