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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, After 55 years of service to Paris Coffee Shop in |
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Fort Worth, Mike Smith retired on April 16, 2021, and passed the |
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iconic restaurant on to new ownership; and |
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WHEREAS, Mike Smith's father, Gregory K. Smith, purchased the |
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restaurant at its original location south of downtown Fort Worth in |
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the 1920s; during the 1960s, Mike Smith was working toward his |
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master's degree in administrative management at the University of |
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North Texas when his father fell ill, and he left college to take |
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over the daily management of the restaurant; after the elder |
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Mr. Smith died in 1971, Mike Smith succeeded him as its owner, and |
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it has since grown and attracted a loyal clientele under his watch; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Paris Coffee Shop, an eatery renowned for its |
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friendly, welcoming atmosphere, is best known for the dessert pies |
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that Mr. Smith baked every day; for decades, the warm hospitality |
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that he has extended to his customers has helped make the restaurant |
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a beloved institution in Fort Worth, and he has enjoyed a special |
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friendship and camaraderie with his regulars as well as with his |
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more than two-dozen employees, whom he regards as his extended |
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family; and |
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WHEREAS, Although Mike Smith's retirement is a bittersweet |
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occasion for everyone at Paris Coffee Shop, it is a fitting reward |
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for a man who has dedicated his heart and soul to the restaurant's |
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success for more than a half century, and it is a pleasure to join |
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his many admirers in bidding him a fond farewell; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Mike Smith on his well-deserved |
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retirement as the owner of Paris Coffee Shop in Fort Worth and |
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extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Smith as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |