Sam Fox News

Flower Child restaurant sibling Culinary Dropout to debut in Dallas

Dallas is getting its own Culinary Dropout.

Courtesy photo

A new restaurant from a highly successful restaurant group is making its Dallas debut: Called Culinary Dropout, it's a casual gastropub with a quirky, rock 'n' roll atmosphere, comfort food, and cocktails, and it's opening in Dallas' Design District.

The opening is a ways off: According to a release, it'll debut in early 2024 at The International, a high-end showroom center at 150 Turtle Creek Blvd.

Culinary Dropout is part of Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC), the same group that owns The Henry and Flower Child, which all have locations in town. Dallas loves Fox concepts.

FRC was founded by Sam Fox, a restaurant whiz who has created a dozen brands that also include not-in-Dallas concepts such as Zinburger, Blanco Cocina + Cantina, and Doughbird.

In a statement, he says the concept is a good fit for the Design District. "I was inspired by the new growth and development of this area, it's just a really cool place to be," he says.

Food
The Culinary Dropout menu contains an edgy mix of meals done with attitude that include:

Pork ribs slow roasted for 36 hours and basted in jalapeño BBQ sauce
Buffalo hot wings
Fried chicken drizzled with honey
Soft pretzels with Provolone cheese fondue

Drinks
Cocktails feature house-made syrups, infused liquor, and fresh-squeezed juices, including:

El Matador with añejo tequila, elderflower liqueur, ginger agave, and orange bitters
Room Service with gin, lemon, strawberry, and bubbly

Atmosphere
The concept is said to radiate an irresistible welcome, with an eclectic mix of rockstar art, grand chandeliers, and leather booths. It includes a stage for live music and TVs for sports, and is inclusive for families, date night, a quick beer, or after-work food and drink.

There are eight Culinary Dropout locations: six in Fox Restaurant Concepts' home state of Arizona, plus one in Denver and one in Austin, which opened in 2016.

According to Fox, Dallas will be the first location with a rooftop bar, which will undoubtedly feature Dallas skyline views.

Setting
The International on Turtle Creek is an architectural icon and adaptive reuse office/showroom project created in 2005. It was acquired by Quadrant Investment Properties (QIP), a Dallas real estate investment firm that focuses on development projects in urban centers, in 2021.

QIP founder Chad Cook says that having a showpiece restaurant like this was a priority.

"The acquisition strategy for The International was centered around attracting a world class food and beverage operator," Cook says. "From the project's inception, Culinary Dropout was the ideal fit for this space. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Sam Fox and his team."

openings

Beverage News

Bubble tea shop Chatime from Taiwan opens at convenient Dallas address

Chatime

Chatime drinks

A bubble tea shop from Taiwan has debuted in Dallas: Chatime, a global bubble tea chain specializing in modern bubble tea beverages, has opened a teahouse in a very convenient centrally-located spot in the Medallion Center shopping center at 6464 E. Northwest Hwy. # 316, next to Salata and near the Target store.

Chatime was founded in Taiwan in 2005 and has helped bring bubble tea to the global stage. According to a release, they began franchising in 2006 and currently have more than 1,400 locations worldwide across Asia, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. There are now locations in Baltimore, Nashville, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Florida, Georgia, and Kansas.

Dallas represents the third location in Texas, following Frisco at 11955 Coit Rd. which opened in 2024, and another in the Houston area, which opened in 2025.

Their success draws on decades of tea expertise with an emphasis on real ingredients, bold flavors, and contemporary tea culture. Their menu centers on customizable premium boba tea including milk tea, fruit tea, smoothies, and brown sugar pearls.

Signature drinks include:

boba tea
brown sugar boba milk (no tea)
peach green tea with strawberry popping pearls
lychee green tea with lychee jelly
mango slush with mousse
Thai with boba
taro milk tea with mousse

They also have cold brew coffee and energy drinks. You can order drinks in three sizes, ranging from 16 to 32 ounces, and you can also specify level of sweetness. Prices range from $6 to $9.

The Dallas location, part of a wave of openings for the chain in 2026, is a family operation owned by Dallas husband-and-wife duo Sanket and Ekta Gulati, two professionals who are opening their first franchise, with their sons running the day-to-day.

"Chatime felt like the right opportunity for us because it offered a strong global brand with real recognition, even though it is still growing in the United States," the couple says. "What makes it even more meaningful is that our younger son is managing the store and has become a key part of the operation, while our older one proudly calls himself the HR guy, leading the hiring and onboarding efforts. It has truly become a family affair."

On May 30-31, the store is hosting a two-day opening celebration, wherein the first 50 guests each day will receive a free 16-oz Premium Boba Milk Tea, presented in a limited‑edition Charm the World Cup. Each cup comes with a mystery plushie, adding a collectible that reflects Chatime's global fan culture. They'll also be doing a Buy‑One‑Get‑One promotion on certain flavors, on both days, all day.

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