Chicken News

Hooters' wings-only concept opens first 2 locations in Dallas area

The wings are here, the wings are here.

Photo courtesy of Hoots

The wings are about to land: Hoots Wings, the new fast-casual concept launched by the Hooters chain specializing in chicken wings, has two locations locked down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area: one in Little Elm and the other in far north Fort Worth.

According to a release, the first franchise location in Texas will open in Little Elm, in the Little Elm Corners Shopping Center, on the SW corner of US380 and Navo Road. Official address: 26742 E University Dr., Aubrey.

It'll open on July 19.

The Fort Worth location is at 5301 Golden Triangle Blvd., east of I-35, across the street from a Walmart store. That location is still "coming soon."

The arrival of Hoots in DFW is via Dallas-based AE Restaurant Group, led by Cary and Jackie Albert, who signed a deal to open 60 locations in Texas. That may sound ambitious, but as we can now see, they have two down, which is just another 58 to go.

They're opening not only in Dallas-Fort Worth but also Austin, and have another nine locations in development: seven in Dallas-Fort Worth and two in Austin, set to open by year-end. The husband-and-wife duo plan to open 10-15 locations each year. So see, this 60 locations thing can be done.

"From the second we learned about hoots wings, we knew this was the perfect opportunity for us," Jackie says in a statement. "The people of Little Elm and the surrounding communities will love the diverse menu of over 10,000 flavor combinations. We’re so excited to play a role in the history of hoots wings as their first-ever franchisees and bring their great food to the people of Texas."

Hoots was first launched by Hooters' parent company HOA Brands in 2016, with the idea of doing a fast-casual version of itself, with a menu of its best-selling most popular items. There are currently seven Hoots Wings locations, in Illinois, Georgia, and Florida. Hooters has been doing wings since 1983.

But Hoots is all about takeout and delivery. They've partnered with third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats and Grubhub, and units include a designated area for takeout orders to reduce friction. No dining room, no servers.

The menu features wings with a variety of sauces and rubs. Customers have the choice of:

five cooking options: breaded, smoked, naked, boneless, or roasted
14 sauces and dry rubs including 3-mile island, spicy garlic, garlic habanero, lemon pepper, Texas BBQ, and parmesan garlic

In addition to wings, the menu includes shrimp, chicken sandwiches, and sides like waffle fries, tots, mac & cheese, and mozzarella sticks.

Hours at the Little Elm location will be Sunday-Wednesday 11 am-10 pm, and Thursday-Saturday 11 am-11 pm.

openings

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings