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Every Last Word
Dallas Innovates’ signature series capturing what leaders across North Texas are saying — in their own words — about innovation, impact, and what’s next.
Photo: J. Michael Jones/iStock
The Last Word: CNN on Why Chili’s Has Become So Hot, It’s ‘On Fire’
by David Seeley | Feb 5, 2025
Dallas-based Brinker International saw its stock (NYSE: EAT) jump 16% last Wednesday. One big reason: Its Chili's Grill & Bar casual dining chain posted a Q4 sales jump of 31% for restaurants open at least a year. That marked the brand's third straight quarter of double-digit sales growth—with a 20% boost in foot traffic, not higher prices, contributed to the Q4 leap.
by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Feb 4, 2025
Fort Worth has taken off like a rocket in population growth (it had the largest numeric population gain of any city in America in 2022). Now there's speculation that actual real-life rockets could be launched into space from near the Panther City, according to a 2025 Tarrant County Commercial Real Estate Forecast discussion between Corriente Advisors CEO Mark Hart and Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership.
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by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report |
Jan 30, 2025
Stephen El Gidi tasted big-time competition in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics as a 100-meter butterfly specialist. But his competitive juices really got flowing when he tried to sell "cheesecakes on a stick" at Six Flags Over Texas and The State Fair of Texas. He found huge success in both historic venues—which led to him opening his own shop last month: Drizzle Cheesecakes at 310 W. Las Colinas Blvd. in Irving.
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by David Seeley |
Jan 29, 2025
Bowers—whose restaurant group operates popular local restaurants including Kenny's Wood Fired Grill, Kenny’s Burger Joint, Kenny’s Italian Kitchen, and Kenny's Authentic East Coast Pizza—took off his chef's hat during the pandemic and began creating art. On Saturday, February 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., he'll be hosting a benefit art show with 100% of the proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. {Photo: DHHRM]
The Last Word: On the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day
by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Jan 23, 2025
This coming Monday, Jan. 27, marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, also recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In the run-up to this global event, the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum is opening up its doors for free to students this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25 and 26.
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by David Seeley |
Jan 22, 2025
Since 2013, Dallas-based Bedford Lodging has built hotels across the U.S. that look like, well, hotels—including The Hoffman Hotel in Basalt, Colorado, an AC Marriott in Santa Rosa, California, and a Fairfield Inn & Suites in El Paso, among numerous others. But one being built now in Fort Worth is the first to feature a fire pole.
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by Quincy Preston |
Jan 21, 2025
The signature Jam Vino gourmet wine-infused jam created by Keller-based Chef Lorius was one 92 brands to receive a Golden Ticket during the annual Walmart Open Call. Available online now at Walmart.com, it'll reach the discount giant's shelves in 2025. "Jam Vino combines the heart of the South with the elegance of wine country, and our partnership with Walmart allows us to fulfill our mission of providing Everyday Luxury for Everyday People," Chef Lorious (AKA Lori Rogers) said in a statement.
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by David Seeley |
Jan 16, 2025
At the University of North Texas' Willis Library in Denton, you can find lots of books. But something else is getting checked out: The Spark, one of three makerspaces operated by the university. Open to all UNT students, faculty, and staff, The Spark offers a long list of high-tech tools that can be accessed after training—including 3D printers, laser cutters, a computer numerical control mill, sewing and embroidery machines, tools for science and pottery projects, and more. Audio-visual gear and power tools at The Spark can be borrowed as well.
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Rogers Healy launched Morrison Seger Venture Capital Partners in 2022 with a name inspired by three of his favorite musicians: Van Morrison, Jim Morrison, and Bob Seger. [Photo: MSVCP]
The Last Word: Rogers Healy on Dallas’ Rise as the ‘Ultimate Founders Hub’
by Quincy Preston | Jan 7, 2025
From tech and finance to fashion and food, "Dallas is becoming a melting pot of industries—and that diversity is a recipe for innovation," Healy says in D CEO. "Dallas is where dreams become reality, period."
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by David Seeley |
Dec 20, 2024
Editor’s update: Sky Elements Drones, which was set to perform in Dallas on Dec. 31, has “informed Reunion Tower that they will not be able to fly their New Year’s Eve show,” Reunion Tower President Dusti Groskreutz said in a statement on Thursday, Dec....
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by David Seeley |
Dec 17, 2024
After launching in Austin in 2023, the Western lifestyle brand Yellow Rose by Kendra Scott opened Friday in Dallas' West Village retail and multifamily development at 3699 McKinney Avenue. Dallas Innovates first wrote about the expansion last month, sharing how the brand reimagines Western style with new product categories including hats, footwear, home goods, and apparel.
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by Quincy Preston |
Dec 16, 2024
Fort Worth's “explosive growth”—nearly 6% population growth since 2020—isn't happening by accident. It takes what Economic Development Director Robert Sturns calls "full-contact local government," a term once coined by the city manager to describe Fort Worth's unique approach to progress.
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Dallas skyline [Image: Jaclyne Ortiz/istockphoto]
The Last Word: The Economist Asks, ‘Does Dallas Offer a Vision of America’s Future?’
by David Seeley | Dec 10, 2024
A recent column in The Economist asks the question "Does Dallas offer a vision of America's future?" The answer in a nutshell: "In America Inc’s fever dreams, more cities turn Dallas-like in their pro-business temperament—and America as a whole transforms into a continent-size small-government Texas."
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by David Seeley |
Dec 5, 2024
Think wine just comes from grapes? Plano-based Pizza Hut has poured out an innovative twist that may surprise you. Just before Thanksgiving, the company launched Tomato Wine by Pizza Hut, a limited-edition offering it says "captures the essence of your favorite slice in every sip." The splashy launch has proved so popular, you have to get on a wait list to order some.
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by Quincy Preston |
Dec 4, 2024
Dallas-based innovator Michael Gorton, a 15-time entrepreneur and investor, points to a growing challenge: AI, blockchain, and cloud computing are consuming massive amounts of energy in traditional data centers. The terrestrial facilities—often spanning 6 million square feet—can use more power than medium-sized towns. Over the next decade, he notes, nearly a trillion dollars will be invested in power infrastructure improvements just to meet data center demands.
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by David Seeley |
Dec 3, 2024
Pete Schenkel—who owned Dallas-based Schepps Dairy before its sale to Suiza Foods in 2000—led a long, accomplished life of leadership in Dallas before his death Wednesday at age 89. But the former board chair of the State Fair of Texas, DFW Airport, and the Methodist Health System Foundation may be best known for preserving something truly valuable: keeping the Texas-OU game at the Cotton Bowl at least through 2036.
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