Uptown Dallas is Still the Hotspot for New Restaurants and Getting Business Done — This Neighborhood is a Real Business Attraction

This article is part of a promoted series and not produced by the editorial staff.

New residents and businesses are drawn to Uptown Dallas because of the intimate neighborhood feel and ever-growing list of amenities that the area affords. It is the place to be. The lifestyle district is a place where people want to live, work and play.

As the public improvement driver for the area, Uptown Dallas Inc. enhances the public realm with tree-lined streets, lighted sidewalks and some eye-catching art. Businesses have taken notice of the convenience Uptown Dallas provides, being a rare urban experience with real neighborhood charm ― it’s like no place else.

Retailers and other commercial tenants are choosing Uptown as a prime place to plant their brand, and even as the base for their second home office, because it’s the heart of Dallas. Uptown is less than a square mile ― it’s dense with everything businesses are searching for and everything employees would need.

Uptown is easily walkable. In fact, it boasts the highest walkability score (93) in the city of Dallas. It also has the free McKinney Avenue Trolley, which provides unlimited connectivity.

These are some of the reasons why Uptown Dallas is a hotspot for brands with many choosing it for their second location or very first Texas outpost.

Take SkinnyFATS, which touts itself as “the best restaurant in the entire Galactic system” in lighthearted fashion and encourages diners to choose between the healthy side and the happy side of its unique menu. Started in LasVegas, its Uptown Dallas restaurant is SkinnyFats’ first outside of Nevada and Utah.

“We chose our Uptown location due to the vertical density,” owner Reed Allen Slobusky says. “As a lot of our guests typically eat with us multiple times a week, having so many people so close to the restaurant had a lot of appeal for us.”

Even before the current coronavirus realities, Uptown Dallas’ SkinnyFATS did a brisk takeout and delivery business.

“While most of our stores typically run in the 25 percent range for pickup and delivery, Uptown runs closer to 40 percent,” Slobusky says. “Though we would prefer to have people come in and enjoy the space and dog friendly patio, we are happy to be sending so many people food after a long day of work.”

The Uptown Dallas Difference

Likewise California-based MIXT, brought its nutritious, clean eating menu to Uptown Dallas first when it looked to expand beyond the West Coast. It’s the only MIXT restaurant outside of California and Arizona.

“Uptown Dallas was the top choice for MIXT’s first location in Texas. We love the area’s blend of art, business, and the outdoors. The area attracts people who live an active lifestyle, which is a perfect match for MIXT,” says Leslie Silverglide, co-founder and CEO of MIXT, which opened at McKinney Avenue and Olive Street.

Foxtrot Market, the ultimate upscale convenience store, also decided on Uptown Dallas for its Texas home.

“Foxtrot is a beloved small business that humbly began as a delivery service but has grown to brick and mortar as the modern convenience store offering a quality coffee program, wine and beer program, gifting program, a chef-created menu, pre-packaged items and more,” owner Mike LaVitola says.

“We hold an important emphasis on community and felt Uptown and Snider Plaza fell in line with the heartbeat of our brand. We want to play a part in the communities we move into, so we search for locations that can serve as a gathering place and go-to spot for the community — easily accessible, walkability and in great neighborhoods.”

Another expanding brand, Pressed Juicery, also chose Uptown for its first shop in the Dallas market.

“As a Dallas-native I’m so excited to see the Pressed Juicery brand coming to the great state of Texas. I think our quality products, price point and the experience we deliver to our customer is what Texans are looking for from a brand in their neighborhood,” says Blaine LaBron, vice president of marketing technology at Pressed Juicery.

Florida-based Venture X opened its Uptown co-working space ― complete with its sunny, yellow coffee bar — last summer.

“We felt that Uptown was the perfect fit for Venture X because of the surrounding community,” owner Brian Ellis says. “Not only does Venture X share the entrepreneurial vision of the surrounding area, but we aim to build a place where our members can connect, be inspired and improve their businesses, all while working somewhere they love.

“Uptown is a vibrant, forward thinking community and we are happy to be involved in the growth of the area.”

More growth is coming to the area as well, with construction underway that will bring even more residential, hospitality and mixed-use opportunities to Uptown. When Dallas gets rolling again, Uptown will be at the heart of it all.

For more information on the Uptown Dallas difference, check out UptownDallas.net.