The agreement that brought the Michelin Guide to Texas has expired after three years and $2.7 million in tourism funding, leaving the future of the prestigious restaurant ratings in Dallas and four other major Texas cities unsettled.
The contract between Michelin, Travel Texas and tourism organizations representing Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio covered the guide’s first three years in the Lone Star State, from 2024 through 2026.
Discussions about a new agreement are underway, but no extension has been announced, per the Dallas Business Journal. Zane Harrington, director of communications for Visit Dallas, told the publication that conversations regarding a new contract remain ongoing and that additional information is expected during the first quarter of 2027
The uncertainty comes only days after Michelin released its 2026 Texas selections.
Dallas, Fort Worth Build Michelin Presence
Texas now has 19 Michelin-starred restaurants among 149 establishments recognized in the 2026 guide.
Dallas retained two one-star restaurants — Tatsu Dallas and Mamani — while Fort Worth secured its first Michelin star when Goldee’s Bar-B-Q was promoted from Bib Gourmand status.
The Dallas Express previously reported on Mamani becoming Dallas’ second Michelin-starred restaurant in 2025, joining Tatsu, which received the city’s first star when the Texas guide debuted in 2024.
Goldee’s promotion this year gives Dallas-Fort Worth three Michelin-starred restaurants.
Michelin also added six new Bib Gourmand restaurants statewide and 16 new recommended restaurants to the 2026 guide.
Michelin’s international director Gwendal Poullennec said inspectors had watched Texas’ culinary scene develop over the guide’s first three years, citing the state’s increasingly diverse and ambitious restaurant industry.
What Texas Paid To Get Michelin
Bringing Michelin to Texas was not free.
Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio each contributed $90,000 annually under the original agreement, according to the Dallas Business Journal.
That amounted to $450,000 per year from the five participating cities.
Travel Texas matched those contributions, bringing the annual cost to approximately $900,000 and the three-year total to $2.7 million.
The arrangement is part of a broader model Michelin uses in some destinations in which tourism organizations provide funding to establish or maintain local guide coverage.
The Dallas Express reported when Michelin first arrived in Texas in 2024 that state and local tourism organizations had paid to bring the internationally recognized guide to the state.
Michelin’s inspectors nevertheless operate independently, according to the company, making anonymous visits and paying for their meals while evaluating restaurants.
Will Michelin Stay In Texas?
The expiration does not necessarily mean Michelin is leaving.
A Michelin representative told the Houston Business Journal that the company generally intends to remain in destinations after establishing a guide and that inspectors could eventually evaluate additional Texas markets.
However, future funding arrangements and geographic coverage have not been announced.
The stakes extend beyond bragging rights for restaurants.
When Michelin first announced its Texas expansion in 2024, tourism officials promoted the guide as a way to market the state’s restaurants to travelers worldwide.
Texas entered Michelin’s North American guide system with 15 starred restaurants in 2024. That figure has since grown to 19.
For Dallas and Fort Worth, the question now is whether tourism officials believe Michelin’s international exposure has been worth the public investment, and what it will cost to keep the inspectors coming.
Provided by Dallas Express
