Nostalgia can be a positive and a negative for a business.
If people have made visiting your store or restaurant a family tradition, it means that a certain amount of business will show up every year on a recurring basis.
That, however, can also be a trap, because what the nostalgic visitors want may not be what attracts day-to-day audience. Serving nostalgia makes it hard to make changes and locks a business in a certain place.
It’s a trap that Campo Verde Mexican Bar & Grill, a 42-year Texas icon known for its Christmas-all-year decorations, model train, and 120,000 lights, has fallen into.
Campo Verde has been a family tradition
For decades, Campo Verde has been a destination for people to bring their kids in order to show them part of their childhood.
The restaurant explained its business on its website.
“Since the early eighties, we’ve been more than just a Tex-Mex restaurant — we’ve been a destination. A place where families gather, stories are shared, and sizzling plates hit the table with a little extra magic. From our famous ceiling train and year-round holiday décor to bold, house-made dishes served with heart, we do everything with personality — and plenty of cheese,” it shared.
It also noted that it has tried to update its offerings. The chain closed briefly and came back with an elevated menu.
“We’ve recently reopened with new energy, fresh ideas, and the same spirit that made Campo Verde a legend in Arlington,” it shared.
That does not appear to have worked.
“Campo Verde’s faithful patrons objected to the new menu and prices. They had come as children, and brought their own children and grandchildren just to see the holiday lights and eat simple enchiladas and fajitas, not steak flambe or poblano chimichurri.” reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Image source: Campo Verde
Campo Verde set to close
Campo Verde will close at the end of the year. Until then. however, it will revert to its classic menu.
The decorations and Christmas lights have been refurbished, as has the signature model train.
“This marks the final opportunity for families and longtime fans to experience the restaurant’s famously over-the-top holiday celebration,” the restaurant shared in a media release, promising Santa visits and special holiday events.
Campo Verde’s doors will close for good on Dec. 24, and it will eventually reopen with an entirely new concept.
Campo Verde shows nostalgia was not enough
Recent Google reviews show that Campo Verde faced an uphill battle when it came to modernizing the restaurant while also serving its classic fan base.
“Incredibly disappointing. They took everything good about Campo and gutted it. They removed all of the combo meals from the menu, no longer serve individual salsa and queso, and doubled the prices,” RC wrote on Yelp.
Bobby Popo echoed those sentiments.
“I guess I just miss the way it was. The food is missing something. The chips are not as good. No more cheese dip either,” he posted.
Nostalgia, of course, has its place, but Born Social Senior Strategist Keith Muir sees the trap it presents.
“It’s time to stop looking back at appropriate nostalgia as a replacement for originality. It’s time to intentionally harness the best of what’s come before for the sake of progression. If history’s destined to repeat itself, we may as well use its best bits,” he told LBB Editorial. which was hosting an advertising agency conference on nostalgia.
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Casey Ferrell, Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. and Canada Monitor, the consumer insights division of global consulting firm Kantar, shared his thoughts on nostalgia with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“For nostalgia to drive sales, it must combine something new along with the old. Nostalgia is an interpretation of the past, not a reliving of the past. It has to say something about the future, while it is bringing back the past,” he shared.
Campo Verde was not able to do that and will serve its last meal on Christmas Eve.
Campo Verde Mexican Bar & Grill timeline
- 1983: Opened by James “Smiley” Williams in Dalworthington Gardens, TX.
- Famous for year-round Christmas décor and model trains.
- Became a beloved local landmark.
- 2022: Sold to Tommy Ray Stewart Jr.; food and service declined.
- Jan 5, 2025: Closed suddenly, staff laid off.
- Mid-2025: Taken over by Chef Mouhssine “Moose” Benhamacht and Liesl Best.
- June 6, 2025: Reopened with new menu, renovations, and preserved holiday décor.
- Sept 2025: Closed again; reopened quickly serving its classic menu, but with a plan to close forever on Dec. 24.
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