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.

The Last Word: Dillon Dandurand on Why His ‘Not Beer’ Is for Drinkers and Non-Drinkers Alike

by | Feb 6, 2025
Last April, Dallas Innovates told you about Not Beer, a newly launched no-buzz beverage that “looks like a beer, feels like a beer, tastes like premium American sparkling water.” The brand's Dallas-based founder, Dillon Dandurand, launched his product just one month after Liquid Death—another sparkling water brand with attitude—got a valuation of $1.4 billion after announcing $67 million in new funding.
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The Last Word: CNN on Why Chili’s Has Become So Hot, It’s ‘On Fire’
by | 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.
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rocket launch concept
The Last Word: On the Future of Aerospace in North Texas
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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The Last Word: Olympic Swimmer on Opening Drizzle Cheesecakes in Irving
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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The Last Word: Azzurro Living’s Brandon Kershner on His 2025 Outdoor Furniture Collection

by | Jan 28, 2025
Azzurro Living—a "luxury-driven" outdoor furniture company in the Dallas Design District—aims to push the boundaries of craftsmanship for outdoor-indoor lifestyles. "We founded Azzurro Living on our love for design and saw an opportunity to bring something truly exciting to the outdoor furniture space," Partner and VP of Design Brandon Kershner said in a statement.
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The Last Word: On the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day
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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The Last Word: On a Historic Fort Worth Fire Station Becoming Part of a New Hotel (Fire Pole Included)
by | 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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The Last Word: Walmart Tech Leader On Data Lakes, Modernization in Retail’s New Frontier
by | 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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The Last Word: On Irving-Based Caterpillar Celebrating Its 100th Aniversary in 2025

by | Jan 15, 2025
Last week, Irving-based Caterpillar marked its 100th anniversary year with celebrations throughout the U.S. commemorating "a monumental moment" in the company's history. The company officially turns 100 on April 15, marking a century of "customer-centric innovation and industry-leading transformation"
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The Last Word: Rogers Healy on Dallas’ Rise as the ‘Ultimate Founders Hub’
by | 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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The Last Word: Sky Elements on Its Record-Setting, 5,000-Drone Holiday Light Show
by | 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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The Last Word: Kendra Scott on the Launch of Yellow Rose in Dallas’ West Village
by | 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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The Last Word: On the Texas Monthly-New York Times ‘Y’all’ Flap

by | Dec 11, 2024
Fort Worth-based Ratliff is one of many North Texans who've weighed in on a recent Texas Monthly story titled In Defense of "Y'all," a Perfect Word. Writer Dan Solomon wrote the piece in response to a New York Times opinion column which pooh-poohed "y'all" as "much too slangy, regional or what you might even call ethnic to ever gain universal acceptance." 
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The Last Word: The Economist Asks, ‘Does Dallas Offer a Vision of America’s Future?’
by | 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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The Last Word: Pizza Hut’s Elyse Slayton on Her Company’s New Tomato Wine
by | 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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Michael Gorton on data centers in space
The Last Word: Dallas Entrepreneur and Investor Michael Gorton on Moving Data Centers — to Space
by | 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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