Trinity Groves Closure

Mexican street food restaurant at Trinity Groves closes ahead of its time

Trinity Groves saw a casualty with the closure of Sugar Skull Cafe.

Photo courtesy of Sugar Skull Cafe

Trinity Groves, the West Dallas restaurant "incubator," experienced a major closure when Sugar Skull Cafe closed on November 30. This was the fast-casual restaurant that did Mexico City street food and opened in April, a mere seven months ago, by restaurateur Jonn Baudoin.

Sugar Skull was practical in that it served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It had breakfast tacos in the morning and good margaritas in the afternoon. (Or morning, depending on your inclination.)

Sugar Skull was Baudoin's second Trinity Groves venture; he co-opened Casa Rubia with chef Omar Flores in November 2014.

In a release, Baudoin said he's "had a great run at Trinity Groves." "I'm obviously disappointed, but I also understand that it’s the nature of this business," he said.

Bob Sambol of Trinity Groves said that the complex was still learning about what works.

"You have to have the right food, in the right place, at the right time to succeed," he said. "At the same time, the Trinity Groves team continues to learn more about what it takes for a restaurant to thrive here."

In February, Didi's Tamales, a tamale restaurant that moved into Trinity Groves from Mesquite, closed after less than four months. In July, Potato Flats, the flattened-baked-potato concept, closed after a year. Trinity Groves said that it was better suited for a location that would allow for a quicker dining experience and/or drive-through capabilities, but it hasn't resurfaced yet, nor has a replacement concept for its site.

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Pizza News

Donatos Pizza debuts in Texas with first opening in Frisco

Donatos

Donatos Pizza

An anticipated pizza chain is about to make its Dallas debut: Donatos Pizza, the franchise famous for spreading its toppings to the very edge of the crust, will open its first location in Texas at 8990 Coit Rd. in Frisco.

According to a release, it'll open on November 12.

Donatos is so into its method of distributing toppings all the way to the edge that they have registered a phrase: Edge to Edge® pizza.

Their menu features more than a dozen varieties of pizza such as veggie, four cheese, and pepperoni with hot honey. Their signature crust is a thin-crust but they also offer thicker alternatives as well as a cauliflower crust. Pizzas come in a 7-inch individual and go all the way up to a 14-inch large. Prices range from $15 to $25.

Fans appreciate their better-than-average ingredients and describe it as more flavorful compared to other corporate pizza chains, with a crisp thin crust and generous toppings.

In addition to pizza, Donatos' menu includes oven-baked wings, sub sandwiches, including meatball and Italian cold cuts, plus appetizers and salads.

“Opening a Donatos Pizza location in Texas is a dream come true for us. As lifelong fans of Donatos, we’re thrilled to bring this beloved Ohio-based brand to the Frisco community,” said Casey Dennis, co-owner of Donatos Pizza Frisco. “We can’t wait for everyone to experience great pizza and join us for some fun at the grand opening on November 12th.”

Bringing Donatos to Frisco are two three natives of Ohio, all with a connection to Donatos: Dr. Rico Singleton, Casey Dennis, and Cameron Hopkins — all eager to share their long-time love of Donatos in their new home in Texas. They also share a brotherhood through Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., which emphasizes initiatives like Bigger and Better Business, reflecting their entrepreneurial spirit.

Singleton is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, with a background in Information Technology who has lived in Texas for 8 years. Dennis is from Columbus, has a degree in pharmacy, is lifelong friends with Singleton, and has also lived here for eight years. Hopkins is also a native of Columbus, with a background in software engineering and real estate investing and has lived here five years.

They're also opening another location in the Dallas area in Flower Mound, coming later this year.

“Bringing Donatos Pizza to Texas marks a historic milestone as we begin this exciting journey to expand the brand throughout the DFW area,” says Donatos President and CEO Kevin King. “We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Frisco community through our promise to serve the best pizza and make your day a little better.”

Donatos Pizza was founded in 1963 when Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, Ohio, where the company is headquartered. At one point, Donatos was bought out by McDonald’s in 1999. By 2003, Grote bought it back.

Ther are currently 470-plus locations in 28 states. That includes 175 stores plus nearly 300 non-traditional locations nationwide, including select Red Robin restaurants.

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