There was a time when Abacus, a McKinney Avenue restaurant that opened 20 years ago, was a Dallas dining landmark that brought its former executive chef, Kent Rathbun, major acclaim and even a few James Beard Award nominations. In recent years, however, it’s felt more like a relic, and not a particularly precious one.

“Abacus … is facing its most difficult test yet,” Observer food critic Brian Reinhart wrote in October 2017.

“Challenges are coming from every quarter. Its former celebrity chef is suing the restaurant’s owners; its neutral-beige interior feels like a time capsule from 1999; its menu, an abrupt collision between Texas steakhouse and Japanese sushi bar, is similarly dated.”

After several visits, “I couldn’t help wondering how much this McKinney Avenue mainstay needs to evolve to stay relevant,” Reinhart wrote.

Today, Abacus ownership announced on Facebook that the restaurant is closing June 1, when they’ll retire the Abacus concept to make way for a new one.

“It’s with a heart full of gratitude and a dining room filled with memories, engagements, anniversaries, celebrations and laughter, that Abacus Jasper’s Restaurant Group will bid a fond farewell to our Abacus Restaurant on June 1,” the post reads. “When one dining room closes, another opens. With this closure comes plans for a new concept that will open later this summer.