Hey More Bowling

Dallas strikes big with new bowling restaurant in Deep Ellum

Dallas is turning into a bowling town.

Photo courtesy of Punch Bowl Social

Dallas is on its way to becoming Bowling Central, with another new bowling restaurant concept coming to town. Called Punch Bowl Social, it's a Denver-based chain that has claimed a prized location in a long unoccupied space at the corner of Main Street and Good Latimer Freeway, where it will combine bowling alley, restaurant, and bar. According to a spokesperson, it'll open in mid-2018.

Founder Robert Thompson opened the first Punch Bowl Social in Denver in 2012. There are now 10 locations in hipster cities across the land including Austin, Portland, Minneapolis, Detroit, and Cleveland. The chain has expansion on the brain: Nine more locations are lined up to open in the next year, in Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, and Brooklyn. Ohh, could Dallas beat Brooklyn? Could we be that cool?

The company profile emphasizes carefree good times and nonconformity. They "don't believe in uncomfortable chairs, bland walls, and fluorescent lights" but do believe in a "dirty modern mash up" of chandeliers, food for foodies, PBR tallboys, and craft beverages.

"We believe in brunch turning into a bowling party and bowling parties turning into all-you-can-sing karaoke," it says. "We believe in exploring evenings filled with shuffleboard and made-from-scratch chicken and waffles." Hey, we believe in all that, too. We believe.

Thompson says that Deep Ellum was a good location because of is "in-town, gritty entertainment district aspect."

The building at 2600 Main St. was previously home to the Copper Tank Brewery, and has languished empty for five years. It's such a large space that it's been a tough sell for most operators. There've been rumors that a bowling alley was coming to the space for a while; Punch Bowl signed the lease in July.

Punch Bowl joins a burgeoning hipster bowling scene in Dallas with already-open concepts that include Bowlounge in the Design District; Bowl & Barrel at the Shops at Park Lane; and Pinstack, which has locations in Plano, Las Colinas, and Allen. Is it time yet for a bowling roundup?

deep-ellum

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics