This Week's Hot Headlines

New Italian bakery and cafe sweetens this week's 5 most popular Dallas stories

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines.

1. New family-run Italian bakery-cafe in Frisco really takes the cake. A new family-owned bakery and cafe is opening in Frisco with a cool fondness for Italian desserts. Called Pietro's Bakery & Café, it's at 11625 Custer Rd. in a former BurgerIM where it will serve baked goods including cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, muffins, tarts, biscotti, cookies, and macarons.

2. New Dallas news channel launches with anchors Brett Shipp, Charles Divins. Dallas is getting a new news outlet from Spectrum Networks, starring two broadcast veterans. Spectrum News 1 will represent a new platform servicing Dallas-Fort Worth, anchored by Dallas reporter Brett Shipp and Dallas native Charles Divins.

3. Lack of new films leads Alamo Drafthouse to shutter all Dallas locations. Just three weeks after closing four of its six Dallas-Fort Worth locations, Alamo Drafthouse has closed the final two in the DFW area, in Richardson and Lake Highlands. According to a release from the theater chain, the closures are due to the lack of new releases in the coming months.

4. '50s house in NE Dallas basks in original, affordable vintage glory. A Dallas house is for sale that represents the kind of opportunity some discriminating buyers want: a home built in the '50s that's still intact, not updated, and not outrageously expensive.

5. Why Texas claims the creepy crown as the most haunted state in America. It's the season for all things spooky, especially if you live in Texas. Why? Because we're supposedly the most haunted state in the entire country, at least according to SlotSource.com.

The Adolphus is just one of Texas' spooky spots.

Adolphus Hotel/Facebook

The Adolphus is just one of Texas' spooky spots.

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Historic Theater News

Forest Theater in South Dallas continues restoration with eye on 2025

Courtesy of HKS Architects

Forest Theater

In the midst of an epic renovation, the historic Forest Theater in South Dallas is taking a moment to celebrate a milestone birthday: The facility turns 75 years old. And to keep it running another 75, the facility is seeking donations.

First built in 1949, the theater was expected to be demolished in 2015, when Preservation Dallas advocated for recognition of its historical value as a landmark.

The property was gifted to nonprofit Forest Forward in 2017 and has since become one of their main initiatives in a mission toward preserving history and bringing neighborhood revitalization to South Dallas.

A restoration to the tune of $75 million began in April, starting with expanding the building to a 66,000-square-foot space.

The plan includes a 1,000-seat performance hall, 13,000 square feet for arts education in partnership with MLK Arts Academy, and a 200-seat studio theater and rooftop feature.

Although currently funded for the restoration, the project will eventually need more funds for day-to-day operation. Donations can be made through their website.

Developed by theater owner and philanthropist Karl Hoblitzelle, the theater closed in 2008 and had become significantly run down — down to three walls and not much of a roof.

“Our support of Forest Forward is about more than the effort to restore the theater built by our founder,” says Katie Robbins, president and CEO of the Hoblitzelle Foundation. “It’s about our ongoing commitment to Dallas that will bring educational, economic, and cultural opportunities to a neighborhood that’s important for the next 75 years.”

The role of the theater in the South Dallas community has evolved since its first opening. It closed and reopened as a theater serving mostly Black residents in 1956, following the construction of U.S. 75. In the years after, notable artists such as Erykah Badu, B.B. King, Wilson Pickett, Ike and Tina Turner, and Prince performed at the theater before its 2008 closure.

“It will continue to be more than a venue for entertainment. The Forest Theater is making its comeback as a cornerstone for social change, important dialogues, community gatherings, and educational initiatives,” Elizabeth Wattley, president and CEO of Forest Forward, said in a statement.

Renovations on the theater are expected to be completed by December 2025.

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