Bar News

New bar in Dallas' Maple District carries a torch for Love Field

Love Field is a gem.

Southwest Airlines

A new bar coming to Maple Avenue will open with a serious crush on Southwest Airlines and Dallas Love Field. Called Maple Landing, it's going in next-door to Social Pies, the pizzeria that is also its sibling.

Owners are Jonathan Calabrese and Tony Winkler, who also own bars such as State & Allen and Nodding Donkey. Calabrese says Maple Landing will open in the next few weeks.

In 2016, they took over the space at 5855 Maple Ave. which used to be the Feed Store, as a location for their catering operation. They subsequently opened Social Pie, a pizzeria that operates in an eco-friendly manner, in the space.

"Maple Landing will be right next to Social Pie and will share the rest room," he says. "We'd love for this to become a mini incubator with businesses like a yoga studio and a coffee shop. We have the space in that building to grow."

You're not allowed to identify your new bar a "dive bar," but that is basically what they have in mind.

"For it to be a dive bar, you have to earn that," Calabrese says. "Our tagline for the place is 'bourbon, beer, brisket, and burgers.' We want to keep it simple, with local beer, a lot of burgers, with our own smoker to do barbecue."

In 2017, Calabrese and Winkler took over the Little Woodrow's space where they opened a bar called Ross & Hall, but they are no longer involved with the project; it's now being run by Jason Caswell, who owns LG Taps.

Maple Landing is their new thing.

"It's called Maple Landing because it's an homage to Southwest Airlines and Love Field," Calabrese says. "Herb Kelleher was this larger-than-life figure who was known to everyone in Dallas and beloved. We're putting up a mural of him on the side of the building, and inside, we have beautiful vintage photos of the airport."

"Love Field is such a key part of Dallas, it's a gem," he says.

cocktails

Downtown News

Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year

Ari's

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A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed: Ari’s Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District at 1800 Main St.#124.

A statement from the owners called it "a difficult decision." The closure is effective July 15.

"We are truly grateful for the welcome Ari's Pantry received from the downtown Dallas community. You have supported our business and shared in our passion for Italian food and hospitality. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Downtown Dallas location effective today," their post said.

The closure comes a little over a year since they opened in May 2025.

Downtown was the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill owner Ari Lowenstein's passion for all things Italy, with pastas, gourmet goods, dried foods, produce, plus meals for dining in or to go.

They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024, which is currently marked on their website as "closed for the summer," although it does not list a re-opening date. Lowenstein was unavailable for comment.

The downtown location was originally a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, a downtown enthusiast who owns businesses nearby such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff. However, Kearney withdrew from the store after it opened.

To accommodate the needs of downtown workers and residents, Lowenstein added a coffee shop and gelato stand. It was open for coffee at 7 am and until 9 pm, with a dining area where customers could have wine and cheese.

The location at 1800 Main St. seems to be in a favorable spot, surrounded by residential buildings and hotels such as the AC Hotel and Statler Dallas. Who has not spent a night in a hotel and longed for a market nearby with snacks and wine? It's also across the street from Neiman Marcus, whose imminent closure in September has provoked some pearl-clutching about the prosperity of downtown. But the downtown population does not always support local businesses.

Ari's was not the first to find the location challenging: It was previously occupied by the well-mounted Berkley's Market, which closed in 2024 after six years in the space.

The owners stated that they would "continue focusing on our locations in Coppell and Bishop Arts as we look ahead to the next chapters of Ari's Pantry," before thanking "every customer who stopped in for coffee, lunch or gelato, picked up dinner, discovered a new favorite ingredient."

downtown closings