Vegan Baking

Dallas brewpub expands into vegan land with new bakery in Deep Ellum

Pastries now being served.

Photo courtesy of Sugar Fang

In major vegan news, a new bakery is coming to Deep Ellum, serving vegan muffins, cakes, pies, and rolls. Called Sugar Fang, it's from the team that owns Braindead Brewing Co. and Bowls & Tacos, and will operate out of the Bowls & Tacos space at 3400 Commerce St.

The official opening date is November 26, although that's not to say that a little soft opening might not be going down. Overseeing the project is chef Malikei Hetherington, who spearheaded the vegan menu that Braindead introduced in July.

As a prelude to Sugar Fang, Hetherington has been workshopping recipes by serving vegan baked goodies at Braindead's weekend brunch.

The bakery's lineup of treats includes muffins, cinnamon rolls, pop tarts, cupcakes, and quick breads. There's a cute invention Hetherington calls the "skullet," like a filled cupcake, with different filling flavors and a buttercream topping, that's baked in a skull-shaped pan, for maximum ghoulish effect.

"I'm also working on creating a sourdough starter so we can offer fresh-baked bread," Hetherington says.

Hetherington joined the staff at Braindead after moving to Dallas in 2017. His background includes having worked with a pastry chef in his hometown Kansas City and he spent a few years on the West Coast, working at vegan establishments as well as Voodoo Doughnuts, Portland, Oregon's famous gourmet doughnut shop.

"I also operated a small baking company where I got my feet wet and some experience doing my own stuff, something I loved and enjoyed," he says.

His goal is to make pastries and treats that will please anyone, vegan or not.

"Even if you don't eat vegan, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy these," he says. "We've been testing out recipes through the brunch service at Braindead, and we didn't identify that the pastries were vegan, and they've done great."

Sugar Fang takes up an area at Bowls & Tacos that was previously unused, which they've converted into a bakery space. They'll be open 7 am-5 pm, with baked items and coffee drinks for the breakfast crowd, as a supplement to the breakfast taco crowd they're serving at Bowls & Tacos.

desserts vegan

Downtown News

Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year

Ari's

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A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed: Ari’s Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District at 1800 Main St.#124.

A statement from the owners called it "a difficult decision." The closure is effective July 15.

"We are truly grateful for the welcome Ari's Pantry received from the downtown Dallas community. You have supported our business and shared in our passion for Italian food and hospitality. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our Downtown Dallas location effective today," their post said.

The closure comes a little over a year since they opened in May 2025.

Downtown was the third location for the small mom-and-pop market, which debuted in Winnetka Heights in December 2023 to fulfill owner Ari Lowenstein's passion for all things Italy, with pastas, gourmet goods, dried foods, produce, plus meals for dining in or to go.

They opened a second location in Trinity Groves in 2024, which is currently marked on their website as "closed for the summer," although it does not list a re-opening date. Lowenstein was unavailable for comment.

The downtown location was originally a joint venture between Lowenstein and Alan Kearney, a downtown enthusiast who owns businesses nearby such as The Crafty Irishman and Patrick Kennedy's Irish Pub, as well as Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in Oak Cliff. However, Kearney withdrew from the store after it opened.

To accommodate the needs of downtown workers and residents, Lowenstein added a coffee shop and gelato stand. It was open for coffee at 7 am and until 9 pm, with a dining area where customers could have wine and cheese.

The location at 1800 Main St. seems to be in a favorable spot, surrounded by residential buildings and hotels such as the AC Hotel and Statler Dallas. Who has not spent a night in a hotel and longed for a market nearby with snacks and wine? It's also across the street from Neiman Marcus, whose imminent closure in September has provoked some pearl-clutching about the prosperity of downtown. But the downtown population does not always support local businesses.

Ari's was not the first to find the location challenging: It was previously occupied by the well-mounted Berkley's Market, which closed in 2024 after six years in the space.

The owners stated that they would "continue focusing on our locations in Coppell and Bishop Arts as we look ahead to the next chapters of Ari's Pantry," before thanking "every customer who stopped in for coffee, lunch or gelato, picked up dinner, discovered a new favorite ingredient."

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