The Dallas Dish — Highland Park Soda Fountain Gets New Life, A Friends-Themed Pop-Up Bar, and New Coffee Shop Buzz
Your Weekly Need-To-Know Restaurant News
BY Megan Ziots // 01.17.22Duro Hospitality, owner of the recently opened Sister restaurant, is set to debut several more concepts in Dallas this year.
It’s been a wild two years since Bon Appétit named Dallas the 2019 Restaurant City of the Year. But even through a pandemic, our city’s dining scene has persevered. With the overwhelming amount of recent openings (particularly in Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, and downtown), it’s easy to forget that many in the industry are still struggling, but Texas restaurants have been innovating to provide the comfort food — and cocktails — we need. Now, it’s time to look forward to the Dallas restaurant news ahead.
From exciting openings to unfortunate closures (plus, any other food news we might find fitting), The Dallas Dish is your weekly helping of need-to-know local dining news.
The Team Behind The Charles and Sister Grows Their Portfolio.
Duro Hospitality was founded in 2020 by Chas Martin, Benji Homsey, Corbin See and Ross See. The owners of The Charles and recently opened Sister restaurant are on a roll with the announcement of three new dining concepts in the next year, plus, a small rental property in Lower Greenville.
First, Café Duro will soon open next to Sister as a coffee shop and Italian market with pre-cut meets, paninis, and pastries. Next, the hospitality group is taking ownership of the historic site of the former Highland Park Soda Fountain on Knox Street, with plans to debut a new restaurant this fall — more to come on that later. And lastly, an unnamed concept is headed for the corner of Cole and Riverfront in the Design District in mid-2022.
As for the rental property on Lower Greenville, Casa Duro marks the hospitality company’s first foray into the hotel industry. Opening early in 2022, three apartments will be available for long or short-term rentals. Completely furnished by the talented Sees Design, the spots are sure to be stunning.
The Whippersnapper’s Latest Pop Culture Transformation.
Beginning on January 20, Henderson Avenue bar The Whippersnapper will transform into a Friends-themed pop-up, complete with Joey and Chandler’s La-Z-Boys. Known for other successful pop-ups with movie and TV-show themes like Harry Potter, The Simpsons, and Breaking Bad in the past, This & That Hospitality will set the stage for the immersive New York City TV sitcom. There will be themed drinks and food, a photo booth, artwork by local artist Jonny Freeman, and more.
A new coffee shop is coming to Oak Cliff.
A nano batch speciality coffee roaster called graf/’kôfē (Graph Coffee Roasters) is opening a shop at the corner of Edgefield and Tennessee Avenues in Oak Cliff’s Elmwood neighborhood. The company is currently hosting pop-ups leading up to the opening — follow here to keep up with the progress. You can also purchase coffee beans online.