Holiday News

New York's Christmas Miracle pop-up bar puts Dallas on its nice list

Christmas cocktails are coming to town.

Photo by Melissa Hom

A festive holiday tradition featuring cocktails returns: The famed Christmas-themed pop-up bar Miracle is coming back to town, with installations at 90 bars across the U.S., including Dallas.

Miracle takes over existing bars and transforms them into a temporary Christmas-time bar with festive decor, serving holiday-themed drinks.

The idea for this annual takeover was conceived in 2014 by New Yorker Greg Boehm, who owns a bar supply company called Cocktail Kingdom.

In a statement, Boehm acknowledges that the mood in 2020 is different.

"It has undoubtedly been a tough year for everyone, and our industry has been hit hard, so some holiday cheer is in order," Boehm says. "We feel incredibly lucky to welcome back so many of our dedicated partner locations and even welcome new ones across the world, with the safety and enjoyment of our guests as our top priority."

Select locations will offer to-go cocktails, and outdoor seating areas will be set up where possible to practice social distancing.

Cocktails by Joann Spiegel employ holiday flavors and are served in playful mugs and glassware from Boehm's supply store, which they also sell. How convenient.

New cocktails for 2020 include:

Jolly Koala with Gin, Vermouth, and Pine-Cardamom-Sage Cordial
On Dasher, with Bourbon, Mezcal, Sweet Vermouth, Spiced Hibiscus, Burlesque Bitters, and Lemon
Fruitcake Flip, with Brandy, Jamaican Overproof Rum, Amaretto, Fruitcake, Cherry Bitters, and a Whole Egg

The pop-up begins on November 23 and runs to the end of 2020. It'll be located at the following bars in Texas, including three in the DFW area:

Austin: Miracle on 5th Street (at The Eleanor by The Roosevelt Room)
Dallas: Miracle at 2010B Greenville Ave.
Frisco: Miracle at the Aussie Grind
Fort Worth: Miracle on South Main
Galveston: Miracle Daiquiri Time Out
Houston: Miracle at Johnny’s (at Johnny’s Gold Brick)
San Antonio: Miracle on Houston Street (at Jet-Setter)
Waco: Miracle on Austin Ave (at Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits)

There's also a companion tiki-themed pop-up called Sippin Santa, which will take place in a mere 25 cities across the U.S., including Dallas and Austin. (It has previously hit Houston, but not this year.)

Sippin' Santa partners with tiki cocktail expert Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, owner of Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 in New Orleans, which is home to his own Sippin' Santa location annually.

In Austin, it'll be Sippin' Santa at Nickel City.

In Dallas, it'll be Sippin' Santa at Royal 38.

cocktails holidays

Modern makeover

KFC debuts saucy new sit-down restaurant Open House in McKinney

Photo courtesy of KFC

KFC's new Open House concept will officially open September 26 in McKinney.

Plano-based KFC is testing out a new restaurant concept with tableside service, touchscreen kiosks, breakfast, boba drinks, and a whole lot of sauces in McKinney. Called Open House, it will open Saturday, September 26 at 8751 El Dorado Pkwy., near Custer Road.

Open House aims to put a modern twist on Colonel Sanders' old fried chicken chain. The McKinney restaurant - the first of its kind in the U.S. - is essentially a testing ground for KFC, giving them a chance to try new food, drinks, service, and design ideas before potentially rolling them out across the country.

"Open House brings the Kentucky Fried Comeback to life in one restaurant,” said Catherine TanGillespie, president of KFC U.S., in a statement. “We’re building on the craveable fried chicken and genuine hospitality people have always loved about KFC, while introducing new flavors, new experiences, and more ways to enjoy the brand."

As showcased in a preview event, those ideas come through new food and drink choices, a different type of building, customer-friendly ordering, and more.

Food
Open House introduces a lineup of new sauces that can be ordered as dippers or drizzled over tenders, fried chicken, wings or fries. The choices include Classic Ranch, Jalapeño Ranch, Sweet Heat Ranch, Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan, Sweet Chili and Kentucky BBQ.

The sauces can also be combined into drizzles, including Jalapeño Ranch & Garlic Parmesan, Sweet Heat Ranch & Sweet Chili, and Kentucky BBQ & Classic Ranch.

At a preview, the Sweet Heat Ranch & Sweet Chili drizzle was served on chicken tenders. The combination delivered a noticeable but not overpowering kick. It also gave new meaning to the company's motto of "finger lickin' good," as it proved impossible not to have your fingers coated in the sauces.

Open House chicken tenders Drizzled tenders at Open House.Photo courtesy of KFC

New sides include Southwest Corn, Fried Green Beans, Spicy Pickles and Rainbow Slaw. The slaw will also be available on the Chicken Sandwich and Chicken Wrap.

For the first time, KFC is also getting into breakfast. Morning offerings include Breakfast Sandwiches made with tenders, Hashbrown Sticks, Mini Cronuts, brewed coffee and iced lattes.

Drinks get a major expansion, too, with Mango Boba Refreshers, lemonade with fresh strawberries, iced lattes in multiple flavors, and Double Chocolate Krunch Shakes.

And KFC isn't abandoning its roots, though. Open House will still serve Crispy Original Recipe Tenders, Classic and Premium Sandwiches, chicken on the bone and wings, along with familiar sides such as fries and Mashed Potatoes & Gravy.

Service & design
The restaurant itself is a slightly upscale twist on a fast food restaurant. Dine-in customers will be greeted by a lobby host who will guide them through the ordering process, either at one of five touchscreen kiosks or a cashier for those paying with cash.

Customers receive a table card with a number, and employees hand-deliver every order to the table. They'll also clear the tables afterwards, giving the restaurant a more traditional sit-down feel.

The 3,400-square-foot, open-concept restaurant has seating for 52, with indoor and outdoor tables, a large booth inside a sunroom surrounded by a customizable screen, and a long curved bench with three tables and small stools resembling tree stumps.

Drive-thru customers get two separate lanes, one for those ordering at the restaurant and a second for those pre-ordering on the KFC app. A separate pay window and food delivery window is designed to speed up the drive-thru process.

Grand opening
A grand opening celebration will take place at Open House on Sunday, September 27 from 10 am-2 pm, featuring first tastes of the new menu offerings, exclusive giveaways and prizes, and a special guest appearance.

The restaurant will be open daily from 6 am-12 am, catering to both early-morning and late-night cravings.

KFC, which moved its headquarters from Kentucky to Plano in 2025, is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands.

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