Sort of Like a Food Hall

New-to-Dallas concept Urban8 aims to make food courts cool again

Sandwich from Beyond the Box.

Photo courtesy of Urban 8

Hoping to make the words "food court" cool again, a Dallas businessman is launching a new concept called Urban8, with the inaugural effort set to debut in The Colony in spring 2018.

It'll be a free-standing food court with eight chef-driven, healthier dining options, offered at an affordable price, and will be the first of several set to open around Dallas-Fort Worth.

The "8" in the name stands for the fact that Urban8 will always have eight restaurants, plus one bar, under one roof. Unlike the chain restaurants you find in food courts within malls or airports, Urban8's players are local and unique. Also, they'll focus on wholesome menu items with healthier offerings.

The eight restaurants at Urban8 include:

Beyond the Box – sandwich shop using fresh, organic ingredients
Burger Craft – fast-casual destination using 100 percent grass-fed beef and layering in farm-to-table ingredients
Firewheel Coffee – laid-back organic coffee shop serving espresso beverages and snacks
Monster Yogurt – family-friendly yogurt and ice cream parlor with more than 80 self-serve options
Rustic Flats – fast-casual Italian restaurant with artisan flatbread pizzas using farm-to-table ingredients
Stir – book-themed bar serving craft cocktails, local craft beer, and wine
Sushi Q – traditional Japanese eatery with a focus on sushi and fish dishes
Taco Cielo – Tex/Mex restaurant serving tacos, guacamole, and other traditional dishes
What The Pho – casual Vietnamese restaurant specializing in pho

In addition to the restaurants, Urban8 will boast a stage with live music, open mic nights, art shows, and more throughout the week.

Urban8 will be at 5265 State Hwy 121, north of Sam Rayburn Tollway, surrounded by many businesses such as Dallas Craft Co, Topgolf, The Colony Five Star Sporting Complex, and Spec's.

Founder and owner of Urban8 is Stanley Rose, a businessman who wants to rethink food courts.

"Food courts are a nostalgic concept many have grown up with over the years, but there are some negative stigmas associated with them," he says in a release. "While Urban8 will keep the most important food court variable alive – variety – we will also provide exceptional customer service, high caliber food, and a lively atmosphere. With this concept, we are truly reinventing the local food court."

Rose has been working on the concept since 2015 when he wanted to grab a quick bite but didn't feel like navigating through a mall.

"The experience got me thinking," he explains on his site. "Why hasn't anybody built a food court located outside a mall or airport setting?"

He also wanted the options to be better than fast food.

"Urban 8's are called 'local food courts' for a reason," he says. "We are strategically located in an ever-widening base of neighborhoods and communities, providing healthier dining alternatives to their residents. Urban 8 restaurants offer a broad range of natural and healthy food choices that easily compete with the typical junk fast-food located on every street corner."

openings trends

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's hospitality group Yela Concepts led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting - we wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis,” says Yaser in a statement.

Mak went to college to sudy biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings