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

Shining bright

The Gem juice bar shakes into Uptown Dallas, complete with disco ball

Photo courtesy of The Gem

The Gem Juice Bar is now open in Uptown Dallas.

An organic juice bar with a disco ball and a following in Dallas has opened a third location, this one in Uptown: The Gem Organic Food and Juice Bar is now serving juices, smoothies, and fresh food at Rosewood Court, 2101 Cedar Springs Rd., R115, next to Flower Child.

Co-owned by Leslie Needleman and Mary Kathryn Bass, The Gem first opened near Lovers Lane and Inwood before moving into its first dedicated space in Preston Center on Luther Lane in 2013. A second location at Forest Lane and Preston Road followed in 2015.

“We call this new location our 'Hidden Gem; Uptown customers had been asking for a closer shop for years,” Needleman says. “The area also brings steady office and hotel traffic, and for years, we've wanted to bring The Gem lifestyle into new parts of Dallas.”

The Gem Juice Bar The juice is organic and cold-pressed fresh daily.Photo courtesy of The Gem

The self-described “disco soul sisters” built the business around organic food and juice, with a colorful, upbeat atmosphere to match. Their interest in wellness has personal roots. In 2009, Needleman was diagnosed with breast cancer. During her recovery, she explored organic juice, clean food, and a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet. Bass shared her interest in a wellness-focused lifestyle centered on mind, body, and spirit.

That philosophy informs the menu, which has featured ingredients such as maca, housemade cashew milk, and kale since the business launched in 2012. The juice is organic, cold-pressed fresh daily, and is not treated with high-pressure processing, or HPP, a method commonly used to extend shelf life.

“Gem juice lasts days, not weeks, because we refuse to trade fresh flavor, nutrients, and enzymes for a longer shelf life,” Bass says.

The menu is free of refined sugars, gluten, dairy, artificial ingredients, seed oils, and GMOs. Bestsellers include the Green Glow, made with kale, cucumber, lemon, apple, and ginger; the Golden Glow, a blend of turmeric, lemon, orange, ginger, and cardamom; and the Ruby Slipper, made with beet, ginger, and carrot. The Green Glow was the shop's first recipe and remains a favorite.

The Gem Juice Bar The shop serves soup, too.Photo courtesy of The Gem

Other offerings include French press coffee, cold brew, matcha, smoothies, and protein drinks. Fresh food prepared daily includes soups such as lentil, mushroom vegetable purée, and immunity bone broth; along with salads, hummus, protein bars, and chocolate mousse made with raw cacao, avocado, and chia seeds.

The 1,000-square-foot Uptown shop follows the same colorful formula as the other locations, with a disco ball overhead and upbeat music. There's a front counter, a refrigerated grab-and-go case for busy locals and hotel guests, and seating at individual and communal tables.

“We believe that a healthy lifestyle can be sexy and fun; every Gem has a disco ball turning overhead, walls alive with color, and a soundtrack that makes it nearly impossible not to shimmy while waiting for your smoothie,” Bass says. “Healthy living should feel joyful, vibrant, and energizing.”

The Gem Uptown is open 7:30 am-6 pm Monday-Friday and 8 am-4 pm Saturday. It's closed Sunday.

juice bar matcha drinks organic food health uptown dallas