Pub News

Downtown Dallas hotel gets a new Irish pub from a seasoned veteran

Fish & chips, a pub special.

Kennedy's Irish Pub

At one downtown Dallas hotel, it's goodbye po'boys and hello fish & chips, via Kennedy's Irish Pub, a new concept from Dallas pub king Alan Kearney, coming to the Westin Dallas Downtown at 1201 Main St.

Kennedy's will replace NOLA Brasserie, a New Orleans-themed restaurant that was previously at the hotel; it closed quietly at the end of May.

Kearney says he hopes to have Kennedy's open in the fall.

The official name is Patrick J. Kennedy's Irish Pub, which fittingly has a Dallas connection: It's named for JFK's grandfather.

"It's loosely based on the immigrant story of JFK’s grandfather Patrick Joseph 'PJ' Kennedy," Kearney says. "I thought of it one day when I was cycling by the Grassy Knoll. I was doing FaceTime with my parents, and thought, 'I've gotta do something here.'"

A native of Dublin, Kearney has had a magic touch reviving downtown spaces with his string of pubs, beginning in 2016 with his Crafty Irishman Public House, located in the Mercantile building on Main Street, and now a reliable staple for the downtown Dallas community.

He followed that in 2018 with the Playwright Irish Pub, which took a troubled location at One Arts Plaza and turned it around.

In 2019, he opened Cannon's Corner Irish Pub in North Oak Cliff's Cannon's Village, the cool Tudor-style building at 1314 W. Davis St. And in 2020, he opened a pub in Fort Worth: Trinity College Irish Pub, in the West 7th corridor.

With Kennedy's Irish Pub, he hopes to create an authentic Irish experience, but in bigger digs than the snug 1,100-square-foot space that Crafty Irishman occupies.

Kennedy's has 6,500 square feet and will include the spacious patio that comes with the former NOLA space; Crafty Irishman's outdoor footprint is limited to a few tables on the sidewalk.

""We're bringing in fireplaces and swords from Ireland, they're on a shipping container right now — it's going to be incredible," Kearney says. "It has always been my dream to provide a larger space for both weary travelers and local residents."

Kennedy's will be open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, with traditional Irish dishes including fish & chips, as well as an extensive selection of Irish whiskeys, scotch, bourbon, beers, and cocktails.

The Westin took over the iconic "One Main" downtown skyscraper in 2015. The hotel lobby is on the second floor, with reception area, lounge, library, ballroom, restaurant, and room service; hotel rooms occupy the upper floors. The exterior was not altered; the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

H-E-B news

H-E-B to host mass hiring event for newest store in Dallas-Fort Worth

H-E-B

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A new H-E-B supermarket in the works between Dallas and Fort Worth is inching closer to completion. And here's proof: They're hiring.

According to a release, the forthcoming location in Bedford (officially being called "the Mid Cities store") will open in summer 2026. It's going in the Glade Parks development at the northwest corner of Cheek-Sparger Road and Rio Grande Boulevard.

Before they open, they need a full slate of employees.

H-E-B will host a hiring fair for all Partner (employee) positions within the store on Wednesday, February 18 from 9 am-3 pm. It will take place at the H-E-B Mid Cities Staffing Office, 3600 William D Tate Ave., Suite #100, Grapevine.

Available jobs include full-time and part-time positions in the bakery, deli, produce, seafood, market, True Texas BBQ restaurant, and more.

The benefits associated with working at the top-rated, Texas-based grocery company include annual pay reviews, a partner stock plan, a 401 (k) plan with a 4 percent company match, paid time off, and a health, vision, and dental plan, and a 10 percent H-E-B product discount program.

Those interested shouldn't just show up to the job fair; they must first complete an application. Available positions and the application can be accessed at this link or by going to careers.heb.com. Applicants may also text “JOB819” to 81931 to be directed to all available positions for the store.

First announced in 2024, the mid-cities store joins other recent H-E-B openings across the Metroplex, including the most recent, in Forney, which debuted on February 4.

The Bedford location will face SH121 and include an H-E-B Fuel station and car wash, plus a True Texas BBQ restaurant within the store, a dedicated drive-thru, a pharmacy drive-thru, and an expanded grocery pick-up area.

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Teresa Gubbins contributed to this story.

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