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.

[Image: Dallas Innovates]

The Last Word: Cosm Dallas GM On Its ‘VR Without the Goggles’ Experience

by | Sep 25, 2024
“It’s VR without the goggles.”

Justin Renville General Manager Cosm Dallas …via Inclusion Cloud’s Jayme Byrd after touring the newly opened Cosm Dallas at Grandscape.

Cosm Dallas, the new immersive entertainment venue at Grandscape, is turning heads. In a LinkedIn post, Jayme Byrd shared her impressions after a recent tour with the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Innovation Task Force....

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The Last Word: Why the New York Times Put Irving’s Simply South on its 2024 America’s Best Restaurants List
by | Sep 24, 2024
The New York Times is out with its 2024 list of America's Best Restaurants, and a spicy, meatless destination off I-635 in Irving has made its colorful way onto the list. Simply South opened only last December in a former Tex-Mex restaurant location at 1001 MacArthur Park Drive—but the word is definitely out. The Times says the wait is 3 hours on Sundays for  dishes from Andhra Pradesh in southern India "that tastes like home cooking from the chefs Venkatesawara Rao Muttavarapu, Manikandan Ramalingam, and Anoop Muraleedharan."
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The Last Word: Mike Ablon on the Planned $350M Redevelopment of Dallas’ Bank of America Tower
by | Sep 23, 2024
Ablon and Mike Hoque of Dallas-based Hoque Global have the iconic 72-story Bank of America Plaza tower and four surrounding city blocks under contract, and are planning a $350 million redevelopment that includes a luxury hotel, street-level enhancements, and a potential new financial district in downtown Dallas, according to an exclusive report by D CEO's Christine Perez. 
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The Last Word: Six Flags’ ‘Chief Fright Officer’ on Turning Hit Movies into Fright Fest Attractions
by | Sep 20, 2024
It's scary enough to tiptoe through a regular haunted house. But when something pops out that gave you a heart attack during a movie—and sent your popcorn flying—the chills really kick up a notch. That's the idea behind Fright Fest, going on now through Nov. 3 at Six Flags Over Texas. Along with park-wide spooky vibes and "scare zones," there are new haunted mazes inspired by horror brands come to life: including Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures’ SAW franchise, Netflix’s Stranger Things, Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Conjuring, Legendary Entertainment’s Trick ‘r Treat, and Netflix & Legendary Entertainment’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
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MeSpace workspaces. [Photo: MeSpace]

The Last Word: HOK’s Kay Sargent on the New ‘Neuroinclusive’ Workspaces from Dallas-Based MeSpace

by | Sep 18, 2024
MeSpace—a new Dallas-based company that manufactures "neuroinclusive" workstations that allow users to create their ideal work environment through sensory customization—was launched recently by Founder and CEO Travis Hollman. Sargent, who's a neuroinclusive consultant, lauded MeSpace for designing "an innovative workstation that enables individuals to tailor their environment to fit their unique needs."
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The Last Word: DFW Sports Stars & Legends Team Up for North Texas Giving Day
by | Sep 17, 2024
Texas Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe leads a star-studded sports team of players and legends from the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, FC Dallas, and Dallas Wings in encouraging even more donations on North Texas Giving Day.
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The Last Word: Innovating Brunch with ‘a Thai Twist’ at Grandscape’s Tande Thai
by | Sep 16, 2024
Imjard and Tande Thai Executive Chef Matt Baum have launched a new weekend brunch that offers guests "a unique fusion of brunch favorites infused with vibrant Thai flavors" from Imjard's roots in Thailand.
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The Last Word: On the Founders of Fort Worth’s Goldee’s BBQ Making Food & Wine’s 2024 ‘Best New Chefs’ List
by | Sep 13, 2024
People wait in line up to 5 hours to get into Goldee's, a BBQ restaurant in a rough-hewn wood shack in Fort Worth. So you know something special is smokin' up there. But now the line may get even longer—because Goldee's three co-founders made the 2024 Food & Wine Best New Chefs list this week. 
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[Image from "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" movie poster: Warner Bros]

The Last Word: Cinemark CEO on Company’s Best‑Ever September Box Office Weekend

by | Sep 10, 2024
Plano-based Cinemark Holdings had a lot of popcorn to pop last weekend, thanks to a sequel to a huge 1988 Gen X hit. The company achieved its all-time best September domestic box office weekend driven by "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," which also notched Cinemark's biggest domestic opening weekend box office for a September title. And one more record got hilariously, demonically set: a new September mark for Cinemark's September weekend food, beverage, and premium format sales.
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The Last Word: Group Behind Flower Child and The Henry Opens Doughbird in Dallas’ Inwood Village
by | Sep 9, 2024
Doughbird, a new restaurant from Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts, opened Friday in Dallas' Inwood Village near Inwood and Lovers Lane—joining a lineup of Fox's "sister restaurants" in the city including Flower Child, The Henry, Culinary Dropout, and North Italia. With an offbeat menu featuring a "fun spin on ordinary American classics," it's the fifth location and first in Texas for the concept. A cozy design scheme is the backdrop for wildly varied dining options—from Detroit-style pizzas to prime rib steak sandwiches to steak frites.
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The Last Word: Ken Schaefer on Fort Worth’s ‘Unique’ Collection of City Nicknames
by | Sep 6, 2024
Most cities are fine with one famous nickname. But Fort Worth stands apart by having a lengthy string of sobriquets, including the ones scattered across the skyline above. Schaefer, who's worked with the city on past marketing campaigns, told Fort Worth Report this stem's from the city's "unique" desire to nurture several brand identities.
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The Last Word: CRE Lawyer on AI Algorithms and the Antitrust Landscape
by | Sep 5, 2024
The use of AI and algorithms in business practices is drawing increased scrutiny from antitrust regulators. According to a recent report in The Business Journals, attorney Jerrold Bregman highlighted the legal territory these technologies present.
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[Sources: Tom Windeknecht/istockphoto; DI Studio]

The Last Word: J. Small Investments’ Steven Davis on Life Sciences Companies’ Need for ‘Ripe’ Real Estate

by | Aug 29, 2024
At Bisnow's Future of DFW Life Sciences Summit, Davis predicted a "snowball effect" of success in the next three to ten years as the life sciences industry grows. Davis has today's "Last Word."
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The Last Word: o9’s Stephan de Barse On the North Texas Unicorn’s ‘Minerva’ Mission to Advance Women in Supply Chain and Digital Tech
by | Aug 28, 2024

“Across many professional industries, women have made strides in breaking down barriers; however, supply chain and digital technology are two sectors that are often seen as being male-dominated.”

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The Last Word: Ross Perot Jr. on Southwire’s Massive New Facility at AllianceTexas
by | Aug 27, 2024
When North America's leading wire and cable company invests in a nearly 1.2 million square foot facility, it's a statement. Southwire, an $8 billion company with over 9,000 global team members, officially opened its newest and largest distribution center with a ribbon cutting and tour last week. 
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The Last Word: Law Firm Leader Paul Genender On Dallas’ ‘Supercity’ Status
by | Aug 26, 2024
In June, the Dallas-based TXSE Group announced plans to launch the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE), focused on Texas and the Southeast U.S., with $120 million in funding lined up from BlackRock, Citadel Securities, and other investors. That's led to national buzz about "Y'all Street" and growing global awareness of the city's financial and corporate momentum. 
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