Supermarket News

New Natural Grocers at Preston Forest Dallas opens bigger + better

All of their produce is organic.

Natural Grocers

After a two-month closure, the Natural Grocers store at Preston & Forest in Dallas will reopen on March 31, with a larger, more modernized shopping experience including a more efficient checkout.

Located at 11661 Preston Rd., the store closed on January 30 in order to execute a remodel. The store is now 40 percent larger than the original footprint. It will introduce a more efficient checkout experience, a new Nutrition Education Center, and bigger product selections.

The space has been expanded in core departments such as produce, body care and beauty, dietary supplements, frozen meats, and grab-and-go.

It's also been upgraded with sustainable building features and 100-percent LED lighting for a lighter carbon footprint.

The store will also have a Nutritional Health Coach on staff whose services are free with one-on-one health coaching sessions available via phone or video.

Natural Grocers is the largest family-operated natural and organic grocery retailer in the U.S., and has a proactive stance on its merchandise that includes:

100 percent organic produce
100 percent humanely and sustainably raised meats
100 percent free-range eggs
100 percent pasture-based dairy
100 percent non-GMO prepackaged bulk goods

Natural Grocers was founded in 1955 by husband-and-wife Philip and Margaret Isely with a goal of empowering health and wellness. The chain also prohibits hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives in the groceries it carries.

Their smaller-store format allows them to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, safe, and convenient retail environment. Ever conscious of their environmental footprint, Natural Grocers locations use energy-saving innovations and non-toxic building materials.

There are now 161 stores in 20 states.

The Preston-Forest store does neighborhood outreach through free Nutrition Education and its partnership with Dallas food bank Network of Community Ministry.

Store hours will follow their quirky approach as follows:

Monday–Saturday 8 am-8:05 pm
Sunday: 9 am-7:35 pm

Starting April 7, they'll offer two weekly shopping hours exclusively for seniors (ages 60 and older), pregnant women, and individuals with underlying medical conditions: Sundays from 9-10 am and Wednesdays from 8-9 am.

They'll be doing a grand opening wih all sorts of giveaways as well as a contest from March 31-April 4 for prizes such as a $500 Natural Grocers gift card, an Aventon E-bike, a Vitamix blender, a Cuisinart food processor, and more. Entry forms will be available at the store.

There'll also be special discounts from March 31–April 29 on strawberries, blueberries, mangos, baby peeled carrots, bacon and bacon alternatives, eggs, and staple items such as GT’s Kombucha, Mary's Free-Range Non-GMO Chicken, and Natural Grocers Brand 2 lb. Organic Rolled Oats; and on Texas-made items such as Buddha’s Brew, Chameleon, Culina, Epic, Himalaya, Live Soda, Nadamoo!, Siete, SkinnyPop, Waterloo, and Yenisi Beauty.

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Relo News

Oak Cliff Dallas address says bye Swank and hello Indian restaurant

Elephant Indian Bar and Grill

A location in Oak Cliff Dallas that has seen some turnover in recent years is about to see some more: It starts with Swank, the ambitious restaurant from chef Luke Rogers, which is leaving its address at 1115 N. Beckley Ave. after a year and relocating to a new space still to be determined. The restaurant's final day at its current location will be Saturday, July 26.

"We want to give guests one last chance to toast the place that started it all," Rogers says in a statement.

But 1115 N. Beckley Ave. won't be empty for too long: The space will soon be home to Elephant Indian Bar and Grill, an Indian restaurant from chef Praveen Prasannan, an industry veteran with international experience working in the kitchens of hotels and on cruise ships.

This will be a second location of Elephant Indian Bar and Grill following the original that opened in the original Buzzbrews location at 4154 N. Central Expwy. in 2024.

Prasannan says he wants to expand his customer base by bringing Indian food to areas currently lacking in Indian options. He's also opening an Elephant to-go spinoff in the Park Cities, at 5601 W. Lovers Ln. #110.

He also owns Shivas Bar and Grill, an elevated Indian concept, with his brother Prinu, which has locations in downtown Dallas and Allen.

The menu at Elephant Indian features Indian classics such as chicken tikka masala, butter masala, tandoori, and a variety of biryani, the comforting rice dish.

There are also Indo-Chinese fusion dishes, such as veggie fried rice, chilli paneer, and hakka noodles; plus wraps, hummus with naan bread, and thali, a selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray, served with choices of steamed rice or naan.

Prasannan is a forward-thinking chef who has also created a number of vegan items and meatless versions of their signature dishes, including a rare vegan version of butter chicken and Kadai vegetables, a mix of stir-fried vegetables. Prices are affordable, ranging from $6 for a soup or salad to $26 for lamb biryani.

Prior to Swank, 1115 N. Beckley Ave. was home to some big-name restaurants over the years, most recently Beckley 1115, and before that VH, and before that Outpost, and before that, Campo featuring chef Matt McAllister, and before that an Argentinian place called La Carreta Argentina.

openings oak cliff