Craft Beer News

Dallas brewpub Union Bear catches second wind at Plano food park

Version 2.0 of Union Bear Brewing, the brewery and restaurant from {33} Restaurant Group, is now up and rolling in Plano, at The Boardwalk in Granite Park.

This is the follow-up to the original Union Bear which opened in Dallas' West Village in 2012. A labor of craft beer love by chef Matt Spillers, it was ahead of its time. It closed in 2014, and the concept was purchased by {33} founder Preston Lancaster.

{33} Restaurant Group owns and operates Cadillac Pizza Pub in McKinney; Taverna Rossa Craft Pizza and Beer in Plano and Southlake; Heritage Pizza and Taproom in The Colony; and The Yard, opening in McKinney in summer 2018.

Union Bear represents a more resolute step towards the beery side of things. Brewers will brew on-site, crafting a line that includes a blonde, an amber, a white IPA, and a stout. The bar will feature 33 taps; they're into 33 here, see.

There will also be "hand-selected" whiskies — as opposed to foot-selected? #confused — and wines available by the glass or bottle. They'll offer growlers and crowlers to go.

Chef is Sean Sanders and his menu has chef-driven takes on American pub fare, with appetizers, soups, salads, flatbreads, entrees, sandwiches, and desserts. Menu items include goat cheese-stuffed peppers, duck leg sliders, beer-braised short rib pappardelle, chimichurri hanger steak, and a fried chicken sandwich.

Signature plates include the Caesar salad, patty melt, and honey pig flatbread.

The space has 7,250 square feet indoors and 3,000 more square feet on the patio. There are games including a putting hole, bocce ball, and shuffleboard with a lake view.

Granite Park is a 90-acre mixed-use development located at Dallas North Tollway and the Sam Rayburn Tollway. The Boardwalk offers a unique waterfront escape with restaurants, patios, and lounge areas. Restaurants already open include Chip's Hamburgers, and Hookline, a seafood restaurant from the owners of Urban Taco.

Granite Properties president and COO Greg Fuller says in a statement that The Boardwalk is a top restaurant destination for Collin County's growing population.

"Additional restaurants, overlooking our luxurious Hilton hotel at Granite Park, will open soon," he says. What a tease.

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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."

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