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Starbucks is heating up new coffee shops in 3 Dallas neighborhoods

Having a Starbucks nearby is a coup.

Taringa.net

Nevermind the hipsters haters, having a Starbucks come to your neighborhood remains a coup, and a handful of areas in Dallas are about to find this out.

The celebrated coffee giant has a number of locations in the works, ranging from North Dallas to Greenville Avenue to East Dallas.

The company almost never announces or even acknowledges openings and is reluctant to confirm. But based on neighborhood notices and online construction sites, these locations are all in motion and, presuming the city of Dallas doesn't get in the way, opening in 2022:

Forest & Central. 7804 Forest Ln. This is a former Schlotzky's, a block west of US-75, that's been closed since 2019. The location comes with the key essential: a drive-thru. It's anticipated to open in the fall.

Greenville & Alta. 1827 Greenville Ave. This is the famous Taco Cabana that was home to the Tango Frogs. It's in the heart of Lower Greenville, about as favorably located as it gets, and with a highly desirable drive-thru, which is rare for the neighborhood. A spokesman for the landlord says that Starbucks is still wending its way through permitting details, but construction is set to start in March, with an opening for early summer.

The neighborhood is ripe: There used to be a Starbucks at 3715 Greenville Ave., at the corner of Martel, that was vastly popular among nearby residents - but it was small, with limited parking and no drive-thru. It closed in 2010, and there's a Gloria's there now.

Casa View. 10305 Ferguson Rd. This location at the Casa View Shopping Center, at the corner of Ferguson and Gus Thomasson, has been the subject of frenzied rumors on Facebook neighborhood pages for at least two years. The neighborhood is in transition and the shopping center has been undergoing a subtle makeover. A spokesperson for Shop Companies, which manages the center, confirmed that it's definitely coming, despite supply chain issues and city delays, with a hoped-for opening by late summer.

The company previously opened three locations in Frisco in fall 2021:

8949 Coit Rd., #100, at the intersection of Main Street
5533 Old Lebanon Rd., in the former Start Restaurant space, with a larger-than-usual seating area
13355 Dallas Pkwy. #300, with a smaller seating area and an emphasis almost entirely on drive-thru

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, plus five grandsons and two granddaughters. . According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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