Closure News

Fresh lemonade stand founded in Hawaii is closing its only Dallas store

Refreshing lemonade, beach sand optional.

Wow Wow Lemonade

Photo by Wow Wow

A concept known for its refreshing beverages is leaving Dallas: Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, known for smoothies, bowls, and gourmet lemonade, is closing its only Dallas location in Bishop Arts.

The shop opened at 320 W. 8th St. nearly two years ago, in February 2022. According to a representative, their last day will be December 23."

"With the change of the season and rising costs we have tried to make it work as much as we can, but in the end we have to make the right decision for our family and at this point it is closing our doors for now," they said in a statement.

Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonades was a fresh and distinctive concept serving Hawaiian lemonades and smoothies and a food menu consisting of acai bowls, grain bowls, flatbread sandwiches, and multigrain avocado and nut butter toasts.

The concept was founded in Hawaii in 2012, growing from a stand to a trailer, to a brick-and-mortar location on Maui in 2014. They opened their first franchise in 2017; today there are 15 locations, with another five "coming soon," including one on the books for Prosper. Other Texas locations are in Katy and Houston; they shut down their only location in San Antonio in October.

Wow Wow's signature is gourmet lemonade in a variety of flavors: from classic lemonade to Ginger Pineapple, Passionfruit Guava, Blue Hawaii, and the Lava Flow Lemonade.

Another big Wow Wow thing is its dedication to sustainability. They sell lemonades and smoothies in re-usable Mason jars, and you can get a discount on your next purchase if you bring the Mason Jar back to reuse.

The closure is part of a grim annual tradition of restaurant closures that frequently occur in December, including many recently in Oak Cliff.

"Our last day will be Saturday December 23 - come by and say Hi to our team and show them some love as we are working thru these last couple of weeks," they say. "As we are winding down our operations, we ask for your forgiveness if we are running out of a specific ingredient and we might not be able to get it back in stock in time. For now, we are fully stocked and ready to serve you! Enjoy the wonderful weather with blue sky and sunshine and hang out in our little backyard oasis while you can!"

Omakase News

Downtown Dallas restaurant Sauvage expands with new dining twist

Sauvage

A downtown Dallas restaurant famous for its multi-course tasting experience is letting its hair down: Sauvage, the high-end mom-and-pop restaurant near the Statler Dallas hotel, has a new dining option that gives a smaller, more casual taste.

The restaurant opened in September with a set menu featuring 16 to 18 courses — wild game, seafood, vegetables, and dessert — all cooked via grill and smoker.

While 16 courses might sound like a lot, the courses are mostly small bites. However, owners Casey and Amy LaRue received feedback from diners wanting a smaller option.

"We were getting a ton of messages from guests who want to stop by just to try one dish, a bite, or a specific pairing without committing to the full tasting — so we built something for exactly that," Casey says.

They've introduced a new three-course "Cocktails & Bites hour" featuring three dishes, each paired with its own cocktail, served from 5–6 pm on weekdays.

Last week’s menu consisted of:

dry-aged red snapper crudo with La Chinola Way, a cocktail featuring passionfruit, mezcal, lime, and ginger
foie gras & truffle on house-baked croissant with Pendennis Club, a gin sour with apricot liqueur bitters
jerk-spiced shrimp with Clarified Paper Plane, a bourbon cocktail with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice

The new offering continues their pattern of pairing courses with cocktails rather than wine — an approach they've embraced since opening. "Limiting pairings to wine can get boring — it so often ends up being one expensive red after another," Casey says.

You can make a reservation on Tock, or just walk in and grab a seat.

Caviar
They've also added a new version of their classic menu: no caviar.

"Some love having caviar integrated into the menu, but others prefer to skip it, whether for taste or dietary reasons, but still want the full value of the experience," Casey says. "With such a small counter, this put us in a strange position: do we give everyone caviar whether they want it or not, or do we remove it entirely and lose a core part of our menu?"

Thus, a new menu without caviar, priced at $195, with an optional caviar course available for those who want it for $245.

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