There's a major dining upheaval in Southtown: Up Scale, one of the city’s toniest restaurants, is shuttering on April 6, owners Emily and Houston Carpenter of Carpenter Carpenter Hospitality revealed in a March 26 Instagram post.

The company’s popular coastal concept, Little Em’s Oyster Bar, will take its place at 1024 S. Alamo St. in late fall, they said.

Up Scale, the second restaurant project for the couple, opened in November 2021, gaining initial buzz for its glam interior, exhaustive wine list, and indulgent dishes like Dover sole with foie gras. Since then, according to Open Table, dining sales have plummeted as restaurants — and customers— have been beleaguered with ever-increasing costs.

Though the Carpenters focused on the positive in their statement, the math was almost certainly not friendly to a restaurant offering no entrée under $40. The Carpenters alluded to the environment on social media.

Times have changed and so have our feelings for what the neighborhood might want or need,” the couple shared. “Unfortunately, that includes our boutique fine dining dreams in King William.”

Though Up Scale is closing, the move does give Little Em’s a more flexible space with private dining options and multiple restrooms. The Carpenters also teased that the upcoming location would have a new bar. They promised, however, that the menu and feel would not fundamentally change.

The pair plans to operate Little Em’s until construction on the new location is finished, and then they will quickly shift to a new project. Though the details of the concept are slim, the Carpenters said the Little Em’s space would transition to a still-unnamed diner.