Uncle Mike’s Bistro in Argyle officially closed its doors on Friday after nearly five years of serving the community.
Owners Mike and Valarie Gross said it was a financial decision to go ahead and close the business, but felt they might have had better luck in a different location.
Despite being located off Hwy 377, the restaurant’s entrance is facing away from the roadway in a shared parking lot with an entrance off a side road.
“We just weren’t making enough money,” said Valarie Gross. “We’re kind of hidden, so we think if we were on more of a main road it would have been different.”
The husband and wife duo bought Coffee Tree Cafe in 2021 after working management jobs for Walmart.
Soon after, they rebranded it to Uncle Mike’s Bistro to let everyone know they offered more than just coffee and cupcakes.
In October 2025, Uncle Mike’s hosted a grand reopening to showcase new menu items, extended hours of operation and the introduction of live entertainment.
“That was supposed to be us trying to upgrade our business and showing people we were here,” said Gross. “It just didn’t help as much as we thought it would.”
Just a few months after the reopening, Winter Storm Fern halted almost every business in southern Denton County, but Valarie Gross said their financial struggles started before that.
Despite Uncle Mike’s not working out, Valarie and Mike Gross said they still love the Argyle community and are continuing to look at future ventures.
“We are pivoting, I will say that,” said Valarie Gross. “We definitely have some irons in the fire.”
