Heard it that the Grapevine Bar, Dallas' beloved dive, is relocating

Bar News

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One of Dallas' favorite dive bars is relocating: The Grapevine Bar, which has been serving low-key drinks since 1996, will leave its current address on 3902 Maple Ave. where the lease is expiring, and move to 2213 Butler St., previously home to Redfield's Tavern, which closed in December 2022.

According to Grapevine co-owner Michelle Honea, the move will take place sometime this summer, date still TBA.

Michelle opened the Grapevine in the original Herrera's on Maple Ave. with her first husband, then kept it after he died in 2003, and now runs it with her husband Ronny.

The bar is beloved as a place with a casual atmosphere, diverse clientele, "from prom queens to drag queens," featuring a rooftop deck, basketball court, patio, and happy-hour specials on drinks such as their ultra-potent Tangaritas frozen margarita mixed with Tang.

It has received no shortage of press over the years, and was a favorite haunt for staff at the Dallas Observer whose offices were nearby.

10Best called it "one of Dallas' secret gems, this ultra-laid back neighborhood haunt attracts a following as diverse as its hodgepodge of mismatched furnishings. ... The Grapevine Bar is everything you'd want a cozy watering hole/dive to be and more: The booze is ridiculously cheap (the specialty is frozen beverages made with Everclear); the crowd is refreshingly friendly, and the bar throws some of the best happy hours in town. There's also a spiffy rooftop deck where you can sip and scope out the skyline. And any place that boasts ping pong, billiards and a basketball court definitely rates an A+ in our books."

The other part of its charm is its motley assortment of decorative items and vintage light fixtures, accumulated over the years.

Scoundrels' Field Guide described it as "a bit of a dive bar melting pot, the result of years of bit by bit, layer by layer evolution that has created a very distinct vibe amid brightly colored walls, drapes and even pool table felt ... really the everything bar, a gay bar, a straight bar, a neighborhood pub and a Dallas-famous dive bar wrapped into a single stucco building."

It's been touted as "the best hidden gem," "a dive bar that's eccentric and amazing," "not pretentious, plus great priced drinks, laid back & fun."

The Honeas attribute their success to their diverse clientele: "We are who we are because of our customers," they say.

Their motto is that everyone is welcome as long as you "check your attitude at the door," and they even have a sign to that effect — a sentiment echoed by fan reviews such as:

"This is the best dive bar in Dallas! There is no better! I have been there for New Year's Eve! I have been there to cry, for a broken heart! I have been there to play Horse, with my date wearing high heels. I have been there to 'I don't give a damn.' I have been there to watch playoff games. When I want a great time, where everyone belongs, doctors, warriors, lawyers, artists, astronauts, transvestites, all of humanity, can go here."

Black Rabbit Social

Bottle service comes to Hub 121 in McKinney via buzzy new social bar

Bottle Service News

Bottle service has arrived in McKinney, via Black Rabbit Social, a new venue that just opened at The Hub 121, the mixed-use entertainment center at SH121 and Alma Road.

Black Rabbit Social sits in a luxuriously-appointed 10,000-square-foot space that, according to a spokesperson, opened softly on April 28, with a primary focus as a nightclub offering bottle service, but also with a full kitchen serving food until 11 pm.

The venue's multiple uses and nooks include:

dance floor
rooftop bar
secret garden
private booths
patio overlooking a creek that runs through the property

They also promise a superior audio-visual system and an opulent design, as well as a menu with a strong Italian bent, including pizzas and snacks like fried ravioli, as well as burgers, salads, and fun desserts.

"You can eat any time until 11 pm when the kitchen closes and the nightclub aspect becomes more prominent," a spokesperson says.

They also position themselves as a destination for weekend brunch.

Appetizers include mozzarella sticks, crispy Brussels, battered fries with Parmesan cheese, a Caprese salad, bruschetta, and charcuterie board.

Burgers are half-pound Angus and like all sandwiches, come with choice of battered fries, sweet potato fries, or onion rings, priced from $14 to $17. Signature options include with cheddar, bacon & blue cheese, or mushroom & Swiss.

Sandwiches include a chicken parm, a "L'Italiano" with pepperoni & salami, and a vegetarian sandwich with mushrooms and mixed greens, all served on toasted hoagies.

Pizzas are 10-inch in choices such as pepperoni, supreme, meat, California (BBQ chicken), and Mediterranean with provolone, mozzarella, tomato, & arugula. Desserts include NY cheesecake and funnel cake fries.

Brunch features omelets, chicken & waffles, benedicts, bagel with smoked salmon, BLT, French toast, and a brunch board sampler. The cocktail menu is still getting its finishing touches, details on all that are still to come.

Their name brings on a little happy jolt of nostalgia to the glorious pre-pandemic days of 2019, in which every bar and restaurant wanted to have "social" in their name. Praise the baby Jesus, are we back to normal?

Black Rabbit Social is from Billy J. Lynch, whose prior experience includes managing Electric Cowboy in Lewisville. His goal, he says, is to provide a place for people to socialize, especially in the northern part of DFW, which has fewer options for a population that's growing.

Beyond the usual nightclub audience, they're pitching themselves as a place to celebrate birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, corporate events, and happy hour.

They'll be open Wednesday–Sunday, although the spokesperson cautions that they're still in soft-opening mode and this week won't open until Thursday May 11. But that's also the night they'll kick off their Happy Hour, which runs every Thursday and Friday from 5-9 pm, with $6 well drinks, $8 call drinks, $4 domestic beers, $6 premium beers, and $5 seltzers.

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Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with new happy hour specials

Where to drink

With April already halfway done, we're long overdue for the April edition of Where to Drink, our monthly column focused on bars, happy hours, new cocktails, and other things of a drinky nature.

This month includes new happy hours, a new bar menu, and a new spot with discounts on drinks.

Here is our Where to Drink for April:

Bar Louie
Upbeat pub chain is throwing down happy hour discounts Monday-Friday from 4-7 pm. Beer-wise, they're pouring $4 domestic pints and $5 craft pints. Cocktails start at $6 for single-pour premium call liquor cocktails, and $7 premium cocktails, including margaritas, mojitos, and martinis. All the M drinks! Wines by the glass are $6, and you get half-off on flatbreads, wings, Bavarian pretzel with mustard, spinach artichoke dip with chips, and a chip & dip trio with salsa, queso, and guacamole. Four locations include Shops at Park Lane in Dallas, plus Allen, Arlington, and Las Colinas.

Elm & Good
Restaurant at The Kimpton Pittman Hotel Dallas in Deep Ellum has a new weekday happy hour Tuesday-Friday 4-6 pm at its cool in-house bar with $5 local beers, $6 house red and white wines, and $7 select appetizers. On Tuesdays they stretch it out from 4-10 pm with Texas-themed specials including local beer, local wine, and cocktails made with Texas spirits.

Leela's Pizza & Wine Bar
Lower Greenville wine bar has spawned a spinoff which also includes "pizza" in the name, in Uptown at 2355 Olive St. They're in the old Malibu Poke space, across the street from the Ritz-Carlton, in the same parking-challenged complex as Starbucks and Roti Grill. Their happy hour runs Tuesday-Friday from 4-6 pm and is limited to $7 champagne cocktails and $7 house wines. For what it's worth, they don't take cash.

Oddfellows
Casual comfortable community hub in Bishop Arts is there for your coffee, breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner needs, as well as happy hour, Monday-Friday, 3-6 pm, with a new slate of discounts on wine, beer, and cocktails. More specifically, they have $7 cocktails, $5 draft beer, $6 glasses of wine, plus half-price shared plates including their deviled eggs, white bean hummus, fried Brussels sprouts, and shrimp ceviche.

Villa Azur
Venue at the W Hotel has a new bar menu and, while it's not discounted, it is new, and surely worth a look, maybe even a try. New cocktails include Let’s Get Guava with gin and guava purée; Purple Rain with Avion Reposado, grapefruit juice, lime, and blueberry purée; and Touch of Azur with gin, infused butterfly pea tea, lavender, and prosecco. Bites include crab spinach & artichoke dip with focaccia toast, and flatbreads with toppings such as spicy capicola, eggplant, shiitake mushroom, spinach, and lobster.

Photo courtesy of Redfield's

Bar in Dallas' Medical District whose owner died will close before Xmas

Closure News

What is surely one of the more resilient bars in Dallas has closed: Redfield's Tavern, a bar in the Medical District that endured the pandemic and the death of its co-founder, is closing after three years.

According to owner Katy Tillotson, who calls Redfield's "the little bar that could," it'll close on December 23.

The bar opened in 2019, a project between Katy and her husband, veteran bar owner Joe Tillotson, who'd co-founded a string of well-known venues including Barley House, City Tavern, Katy Trail Ice House, Banditos, and Bryan Street Tavern.

Katy knew the Medical District because she'd worked at Children's Medical Center. She saw a need for some kind of bar or restaurant in the area, and it became a passion project for the couple.

But Joe subsequently got cancer which he battled for six years before passing away in 2021.

"For the past six years, Redfield’s has been such a huge part of my life and for the last several of Joe’s years it was a huge part of ours," Katy said in a Facebook post. "The years before we opened we spent nearly all of our time together and I could walk through the inside and out and tell a story about almost every piece of art, of furniture, how it’s the wood from our old fence that lines several walls, how we preserved brick to line the inside wall, the salvage yards we dug through to find treasures. It was so much fun, and watching Joe immersed completely in his artistic element made me incredibly proud. He was remarkably talented."

The couple actually began working on the bar in 2016.

"What was intended to take a year to open ended up being closer to three due to cancer and every permit issue possible," she says. "Then we opened four months before COVID. We survived cancer life, COVID, and Joe’s death."

The bar closed briefly in October 2020 over an uproar that ensued after a bartender secretly recorded a conversation in which Tillotson requested she hire a more diverse set of employees, IE not just gay staffers. They re-opened with new management a few months later.

Katy calls the closure "a heartbreaking loss — and it’s another piece of Joe that will be gone."

"I feel an extreme sense of guilt and of having let down my husband and it is excruciating," she says. "Truthfully though, Redfield’s needed Joe, and without him it just didn’t really work."

The plan is to sell the building or lease it to another bar "that will continue to serve this special area that has such a huge place in my heart," she says.

Record store in Dallas' Oak Cliff to spin off hip new restaurant-lounge

Bishop Arts News

There's a hip new lounge bar restaurant opening in Dallas' Bishop Arts: Called Ladylove, it's going into the favorably located space at 310 W. 7th St. previously occupied by Dallas Grilled Cheese Co., and is forecast to open in early 2023.

Ladylove, whose subhead is "Lounge & Sound," is from David Grover and Kate Siamro, the same amazing team who own Spinster Records, the vinyl record store in Bishop Arts.

Siamro says this fulfills a dream they've nurtured for a few years.

"David and I have been talking about having a lounge but it really came to fruition a few months ago," she says. "It'll be a restaurant and lounge but our main goal is to bring more music to the neighborhood. We feel like Bishop Arts needs more sound."

To that end, the space will include a stage and a DJ booth.

"We love the idea of a spot where you could come on a first date, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and inspiration from the conversation pits of the '70s, a place you can sit and have a drink for hours," she says.

Grover and Siamro are a cosmopolitan duo who bring a fresh splash of color to Dallas: Grover is a musician who fronted '90s band Loud Sugar and was singer for L.A. bands Drop and The Fizzies, before going to work for retailers like Best Buy. Siamro is a native of Canada and unapologetic "music nerd" who comes from glamorous stock: Her father was in '80s new wave band Direktive 17 and her mother was a model.

They opened Spinster Records in 2014, a pioneer not only in the now-burgeoning vinyl record renaissance but also a relatively early settler in Oak Cliff, first opening at 829 W. Davis St. before relocating to 408 N. Bishop Ave., in the thick of Bishop Arts in 2019.

For the lounge, they initially considered a storefront next to their record store, but then Dallas Grilled Cheese Co. suddenly became available in September.

"At first, we thought it might be too big, but once we walked in, we could envision a great lounge," she says.

Ladylove will draw some inspiration from Spinster, including walls lined with vinyl records, and record-listening nights where you "BYOV," V for vinyl. The lounge will also be available as an event space, with album-release parties surely being one obvious example, but also engagement parties and other festive milestones.

"We hope to have an interesting space with good food and drink, but the quality of sound will be important," she says.

"Listening lounges are a popular concept that haven't yet hit Texas, where you hear vinyl records on high-end equipment," Siamro says. "When you work in the audio industry, it can be challenging going into restaurants with poor sound quality. We want to bring high quality sound, and also offer the opportunity if people want to buy gear like speakers."

For food and drink, they're consulting with Jimmy Contreras, owner of Taco Y Vino, the acclaimed taqueria also in the neighborhood.

"The menu will be concise, with a small selection of cocktails and tapas-style bites — high-quality bites in portions you can share, and not in any one cuisine," she says.

They'll probably go light on beer out of respect to the new brewery and bakery being opened next door by the owners of Oddfellows.

"But think about how great it will be to be able to source our bread from the bakery right next door," Siamro says.

One item that's already been requested reflects the legacy of the space: "People have asked if we'll be offering any grilled cheese sandwiches, I expect we'll have to have at least one," she says.

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Beachy tiki-styled bar to surf into Downtown Plano, pina coladas in hand

Tiki News

Surf's up in Plano with a fun new venue coming soon: Called Coco Beach, it's a tiki-themed bar and restaurant diving into historic Downtown Plano, with an opening targeted for December.

It's located at 1032 E. 15th St., in what was most recently a closed location of the Zalat Pizza chain but was at one time the Queen of Hearts magic shop at the corner of Avenue K.

Coco Beach is from Jacqulyn Hrna, an enthusiastic entrepreneur with experience in both the real estate and bar industries, who wanted to open something that celebrates her love for the beach.

"When I saw that building on the corner, I jumped in and said, 'I'm going for my beach bar'," she says. "I'm a beach girl, I was born in California, and my family was from Florida. We go to the beach every year, on the 4th of July — we go to Destin Beach, which forms the centerpiece of a big mural we've put in the restaurant."

The space has a full kitchen so they'll serve food as well as drink.

"My thought process is to start off with a limited menu — a half dozen appetizers, a handful of entrees, some desserts — and then add more items after we're sure we can execute it well," she says.

"For the bar, we'll definitely have frozen drinks including our signature pina colada, the Coco Colada," she says. "We'll also have a draft system, one that includes a mixed drink like mai tais on tap, with the idea to mix it up according to the season."

They'll keep late-night hours, too.

"We'll be open from 11 am-2 am, and eventually try to do breakfast, with early football games," she says. "We're putting in a bunch of 55-inch TVs to show as many games as we can."

The most distinctive decorative element will surely be the two thatched tiki huts they're installing on the front corners of the building, making this bar extra easy to find.

Beyond her beach crush, Coco Beach also serves as a tribute to a bar legend who passed away in 2021.

"In my 20s, I worked for Clark Boeken, a well-known operator, and learned so much about how to run a bar," she says. "He opened many bars in his lifetime, including a bar in San Antonio called Coco Beach — I think he would be honored."

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Pitbull, Ricky Martin, and Enrique Iglesias team up for Trilogy tour headed to Dallas

Concert news

Three Latin superstars are headed to Dallas on a fall tour: Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, and Pitbull will share the stage together for the first time ever as part of "The Trilogy Tour," which will hit the American Airlines Center on Friday, November 17.

This new 19-city tour produced by Live Nation kicks off in Washington, D.C., on October 14. The Texas leg of the tour hits Houston on November 18 at Toyota Center and AT&T Center in San Antonio on November 19.

As one would expect, the megastars promise to deliver an electrifying mix of their biggest, career-spanning hits with tastes of reggaeton, salsa pop, dance, and electronic all thrown in for good measure. Each showman will backed by world-class production and state-of-the-art visuals, per an announcement.

Live Nation recommends that fans register now through Sunday, June 4 at 10:59 pm0 for the Verified Fan presale here. Those who are selected to receive an access code will be able to participate in the Verified Fan presale starting on Wednesday, June 7. (More information on Verified Fan can be found here).

A limited number of tickets will be sold during a general on sale starting at 10 am Friday, June 9 at Ticketmaster.com — while supplies last.

Expect a slew of VIP packages and experiences, which include perks like an invitation to the pre-show VIP lounge, exclusive VIP tour poster, specially designed VIP gift item and more. More VIP information can be found at vipnation.com.

From prince to King Enrique
The son of Latin king Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias has evolved from promising pop prince to arguably the biggest Latin recording artist in music history, with a wow-worthy 154 No. 1 singles across Billboard charts and 27 No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart. Iglesias currently holds the record for most number ones in the chart’s history.

At once a sultry crooner and poppy persona, he fluidly moves between English and Spanish and genres to the tune of more than 180 million albums sold worldwide, released 11 studio albums, and three greatest hits compilations. To date, Iglesias has headlined 10 sold-out world tours and performed in front of more than 10 million fans.

Known for big collabs with Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Pitbull, and more, he boasts multiple Grammy, Billboard, ASCAP, and more major awards. His 14 billion views on YouTube/VEVO and 14 billion in streams make him one the most streamed and viewed artists on the planet.

"I am incredibly excited to be going on tour with my friends Pitbull and Ricky," Iglesias said in a tour announcement. "The Trilogy Tour will be an amazing experience for ALL of our fans. It’s going to be a once in a lifetime tour."

La Vida Ricky
A fresh-faced poser boy for '80s pop group Menudo, Ricky Martin grew up before fans eyes into a hunky, bellowing singer known for leaving it all out onstage. Often dubbed the "King of Latin Pop," Martin has scored more than 180 awards and multiple Grammy Awards, most recently for the EP Pausaa and the album PLAY, which features collaborations with Bad Bunny, Residente, and Sting.

The Puerto Rico native is also an accomplished actor, flexing his chops and earning an Emmy nomination in FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He's next set to star in the highly anticipated Apple TV series Palm Royale, alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, and Carol Burnett.

Martin has championed HIV and AIDS causes and founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, which actively fights against human trafficking and modern-day slavery. He is a Global Ambassador for UNICEF, has received the Hispanic Federation's "Humanitarian Award" and the Human Rights Campaign's "National Visibility Award." The City of New York declared "Ricky Martin Day" to honor his musical legacy and charitable work.

"Going back on the road with not only Enrique, but now with Pitbull it’s very exciting," Martin notes in a statement. "This tour will be a wild party from beginning to end so get ready, it's going to be epic!"

Mr. Worldwide
Grammy-winning showman Pitbull — aka Mr. Worldwide — has a golden touch when it comes to singalong party anthems and killer shows. As an artist, the Miami performer boasts billions of audio streams and video views plus hundreds of gold and platinum certifications. As an entrepreneur, he co-owns the NASCAR racing team Trackhouse and tours with life strategy guru Tony Robbins on motivational speaking engagements.

Famed for his fiesta vibe, Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez is dead serious about education as he helped establish the nationwide Sports Leadership Arts and Management (SLAM!), tuition-free public charter schools.

“It’s a true honor to tour with Enrique and Ricky, 2 music icons, who broke global music barriers for our culture and open doors for someone like myself,” said Pitbull. “We’re excited to take The Trilogy tour around the world and give our fans the time of their Trilogy lives, Dale!"

Here are the official dates for The Trilogy Tour:

Sat Oct 14 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Tue Oct 17 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Fri Oct 20 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Sat Oct 21– Boston, MA – TD Garden

Thu Oct 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Sat Oct 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Wed Nov 01 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Fri Nov 03 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Thu Nov 09 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center

Fri Nov 10 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center

Fri Nov 17 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Sat Nov 18 – Houston – Toyota Center

Sun Nov 19 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center

Fri Nov 24 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Sat Nov 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center

Thu Nov 30 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Wed Dec 06 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center

Fri Dec 08 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Dec 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Photo via @LeandrovCo

Ricky Martin brings his vida loca.

3 Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs rank among Forbes' richest self-made women for 2023

Elite entrepreneurs

Twelve of the country's 100 most successful female entrepreneurs live in Texas this year, and three of them call Dallas-Fort Worth home. So says Forbes in its 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, released June 1.

"Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, [the richest 100 female entrepreneurs] are cumulatively worth a record $124 billion, up nearly 12% from a year ago," says Forbes.

To make the Forbes list, women had to garner wealth on their own, rather than by inheriting or winning it.

Texas' wealthiest women have made their fortunes in fields ranging from home health care, insurance, and aviation logistics to jewelry design, dating apps, and running the show at SpaceX.

The three female entrepreneurs from North Texas who appear in the elite club of America’s richest self-made women (and their national rankings) are:

Robyn Jones, No. 29, of Fort Worth. Her net worth is estimated at $830 million. Jones is founder of Westlake-based Goosehead Insurance Agency LLC. She started the property and casualty insurance agency in 2003 after being frustrated with her truck-driver husband's "road warrior lifestyle," Forbes says. He joined her in 2004 and they took the company public in 2018. It has nearly 1,000 franchised offices.
April Anthony, No. 34, of Dallas. Forbes puts her net worth at $740 million. She founded the Dallas-based home health and hospice division of Encompass Health Corp and sold it for $750 million to HealthSouth. In 2022, she was named CEO of VitalCaring, a home health and hospice care firm.
Kathleen Hildreth, No. 44, of Aubrey. Her net worth is estimated at $590 million. Hildreth is co-founder of M1 Support Services LP, an aviation logistics company based in Denton. A service-disabled Army veteran, she graduated from West Point in 1983 and was deployed all around the world as a helicopter pilot.

The nine other Texans who appear on the list are from Austin and Central Texas. With an estimated net worth at $4.8 billion, Thai Lee, of Austin, remains at the top of the list in Texas, and ranks No. 5 nationally.

She falls behind only No. 1 Diane Hendricks of Wisconsin (co-founder of ABC Supply, $15 billion net worth); No. 2 Judy Loveof Oklahoma (chairman and CEO, Love's Travel Stops And Country Stores, $10.2 billion); No. 3 Judy Faulkner of Wisconsin (founder and CEO, Epic Systems, $7.4 billion); and No. 4 Lynda Resnick of California (co-founder and co-owner of Wonderful Company, $5.3 billion) among America's richest self-made women.

For some additional perspective, Oprah Winfrey lands at No. 13 on the list for 2023. The TV titan (and most famous woman on the planet) has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Forbes says.

Austin's Lee, a native of Bangkok who holds an MBA from Harvard University, is founder, president, and CEO of SHI International Corp., a provider of IT products and services with a projected revenue of $14 billion in 2023. Fun fact: "Lee majored in both biology and economics," Forbes says, "in part because her English was less than perfect and she wanted to avoid writing and speaking in class."

The remaining eight Texas women on the list are:

Gwynne Shotwell, No. 27, of Jonesboro (Coryell-Hamilton counties). Her net worth is estimated at $860 million. Shotwell is president and COO of Elon Musk's SpaceX. She manages the operations of the commercial space exploration company and owns an estimated stake of 1 percent, Forbes says.
Lisa Su, No. 34, Austin. Forbes pegs Su’s net worth at $740 million, tying her with April Anthony of Dallas. The native of Taiwan is president and CEO of Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices.
Kendra Scott, No. 47, of Austin.Forbes says she has amassed a net worth of $550 million as founder of Kendra Scott LLC, which designs and sells jewelry in more than 100 stores (and is worth $360 million). The celebrity entrepreneur is also a judge on TV's Shark Tank.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, No. 52, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $510 million. Herd is co-founder and CEO of Bumble Inc., which operates two online dating apps: Bumble and Badoo. She owns a 17% stake in Bumble and became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021.
Paige Mycoskie, No. 73, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $380 million. Mycoskie created founded her 1970s-inspired California lifestyle brand, Aviator Nation, which took off during the pandemic and now has 16 retail locations across the U.S. If the name sounds familiar, that's because she'sl the sister of TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, with whom she competed on TV's The Amazing Race.
Imam Abuzeid, No. 77, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $350 million. Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, which she started in 2017 to help alleviate America's nursing shortage. Forbes describes it as "a souped-up version of LinkedIn for nurses." Abuzeid is one of only a handful of Black female founders to run a company valued at more than $1 billion, Forbes notes.
Julia Cheek, No. 92, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $260 million. Cheek founded at-home testing company Everly Health in 2015 "out of frustration at having to pay thousands for lab testing to diagnose issues related to vitamin imbalance," Forbes says. It got a Shark Tank deal with Lori Greiner and is now worth roughly $1.8 billion.
Belinda Johnson, No. 96, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $250 million. Johnson was Airbnb's first chief operating officer and led many of its legal disputes. She stepped down from that role in March 2020, Forbes says, and left the company's board in June 2023.

Plano sizzles with hot music and cool pools all summer long

Fun in the Sun

The sun is shining, the kids are out of school, and you're all ready for some summer fun. Plano's where it's at, with everything from concerts to happy hours on tap this summer.

Dive in
From Memorial through Labor days, take a refreshing dip in 168,000 gallons of saltwater that's shaped like the great state of Texas. This membership-supported community pool (there are tourist passes available) features a diving board, two water slides, and an island with a shallow "South Texas" wading area for the little ones. Picnic tables, a beach volleyball court, barbecue grills, and a snack bar complete the experience.

C'mon, get happy
Head to Legacy West for its monthly sip-and-shop Happy Hour Hikes, where you can sample beer, wine, cocktails, and food; receive exclusive offers at shops and restaurants; and enjoy entertainment throughout the Legacy West neighborhood. There are also photo opps, featured local artisans and nonprofits, and a chance to win a $300 gift basket to your favorite store.

The hikes happen from 6-9 pm the first Thursday of the month, aka June 1, July 6, and August 3 in the summer. Participants must be 21 and up, and groups of 10 or more get a discount by emails happyhourhike@lot32.com.

Tasty tunes
From Monday night karaoke to a concert lineup that includes all your favorite genres of music, live music at Legacy Hall is a rockin' good time. Check upcoming acts here, and then arrive early to enjoy dinner from nearly 20 eateries and craft cocktails from five-plus bars.

For an even more elevated experience, reserve a Balcony VIP Lounge (21 and up only) and enjoy dedicated cocktail service, soft seating, and the best view of the stage. Fridays and Saturdays also come with free admission to the Late Night After Party on the third floor of Legacy Hall in High Bar.

First-rate Fourth
America's birthday is a big deal in Plano, beginning with a free patriotic concert on July 3 at 7 pm. Plano Community Band will be playing in Haggard Park in the Downtown Plano Historic Arts District.

On the Fourth itself, cheer on — or walk in! — the Rotary Clubs of Plano 4th of July parade at 7:30 pm. The route travels along Spring Creek Parkway in between Collin College and the Red Tail Pavilion, and you can sign up to participate here.

The parade is smack in the middle of Plano's All-American 4th, a free festival that starts at 6 pm and features a kids’ zone sponsored by Champion Energy Services and a fireworks show beginning at 9:30 pm. Blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers are welcome, with food and beverages available for purchase from onsite vendors — sorry, no pups allowed.

Staycation vibes
With all this fun on the agenda, you'll want to stay more than a day. Immerse yourself in Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West Hotel's "West of Zen" culture, with gorgeous artifacts hidden away in every public corner, and the menus for both beverage and food offer a bold take on Asian fusion.

Dine in the main restaurant, ŌMA, grab a quick bite at the quaint Texas Teahouse & Marketplace, or dip into The Whiskey Moon Bar + Lounge to sample its impressive selection of American, European, and Asian whiskeys.

Enjoy DJs on the pool deck every Saturday afternoon during the summer or live music at Whiskey Moon every Saturday evening — see a lineup here.

Speaking of the rooftop pool, you can now book private cabanas through Resort Pass and stay shady all summer long.

See all your Plano accommodation options here.

Photo courtesy of Happy Hour Hike

Join the Happy Hour Hike the first Thursday of each month.

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For a complete guide to Plano, head to www.visitplano.com.

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