The smoke is going out at the Belmont Hotel. The restaurant Smoke, which has been at the West Dallas hotel since 2009, will close on December 15, when it gets acquired by the hotel owners.

According to a release, founders Chris Jeffers, Chris Zielke, and Tim Byres are selling the restaurant to the hotel owners, who will take over once the sale is complete on December 16.

Smoke opened in September 2009 after the trio was approached by then hotel owner Monte Anderson to manage and operate the food and beverage program for the entire property.

"SMOKE has been such a large part of my life for the past decade. I am looking forward to seeing what the next chapter holds for the Belmont," Jeffers says.

The restaurant earned acclaim for its unusual twist on barbecue and was at one point a hot hangout.

In its first few years, it earned chef Byres nods in publications such as Food & Wine magazine. Byres also received a James Beard Award for his 2013 cookbook, also called Smoke.

A representative from the new owners said that they were traveling but would share information on their plans at a future date.