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Looking for something new to try in the Dallas-Fort Worth area? Community Impact highlights new or upcoming businesses weekly, along with other restaurant spotlights.
Now open
1. Bad Habits Music and Events hosts live music in Denton
Bad Habits Music and Events, an event and live music venue with a bar and pool table, opened on North Elm Street at the beginning of April, co-owner Bella Mahurin said.
The space hosts events like Friday night karaoke. On Saturdays, the business has live music and karaoke with a band along with other events like yoga, raves and local vendor markets, Mahurin said.
The venue offers light bites like mozzarella sticks, pizza, french fries and chicken nuggets, and operates a bar with beers on tap and select liquors.
2. Toasted Simple offers simple syrups infused with toasted food at East McKinney shop
A new storefront for simple syrup company Toasted Simple is now open in East McKinney.
The business, which was founded just over five years ago, makes simple syrups infused with real toasted food. The East McKinney shop offers cocktails and mocktails made with Toasted Simple syrups.
The company was founded by Matt Thornton and Brad Pendleton, longtime friends who have career experience in bars, restaurants and alcohol distribution companies. The business idea was sparked by a desire to see real food used in products that flavor drinks like an old fashioned, Thornton said.
The Tupps Brewery taproom also offers cocktails made using Toasted Simple products, including the Captain’s Old Fashioned featuring the Toasted Oak Demerara syrup, the brewery’s website states.
Coming soon
3. Bojangles sets opening date for Celina location
Bojangles will open in Celina on June 23, General Manager Jake Batt confirmed.
The franchise is known for Cajun-seasoned fried chicken with sides like buttermilk biscuits, fries and dirty rice.
Bojangles’s Celina location will hold its grand opening at 5 a.m., and the first 100 dine-in customers will receive a $100 Bojangles gift card, Batt said.
4. Port Coffee Co coming soon to Richardson
Port Coffee Co is set to open a new location in Richardson, according to a social media announcement.
The specialty coffee shop serves Yemeni-inspired drinks, including lattes, roast coffee and matcha, as well as pastries, smoothies and refreshers. Port Coffee Co also has a location in Irving.
A new Greek restaurant is set to open in downtown Plano.
Kalamaki is planned to open in the space that formerly housed Bar-Ranch Steak House in September, a company representative said.
Kalamaki has one existing location in Anna, and is known for Kalamakia—Greek meat skewers—with chicken, pork, lamb or veggies. The restaurant also serves soups, salads, gyros, wraps and a variety of other Greek fare.
In the news
6. Grapevine-based Tommy Tamale rebrands as Atomic Tamales and Tacos
Tommy Tamale rebranded as Atomic Tamales and Tacos in late April for all its locations, a company representative said.
The rebrand comes as the Grapevine location undergoes a complete remodel and adds a full bar and new menu items, a social media post states. Atomic Tamales also offers catering and delivery services.
The family-owned Tex-Mex restaurant offers a variety of tamales, bowls, nachos, quesadillas, burritos and other tamale-based dishes, according to its website.
