1. Dallas Children’s Theater fills void for youth seeking professional theater experience
When Robyn Flatt and Dennis Vincent founded Dallas Children’s Theater in 1984, DCT Artistic Director Nancy Schaeffer said it was done to fill a void. Shaeffer and her husband, Karl Schaeffer, have been with DCT since 1984.
2. Redenta’s Garden Shop has been rooted in Lakewood for 30 years
Before 2020, Redenta’s Garden Shop owner Dawna Schmidt said she just enjoyed gardening. But during the pandemic, the hobby grew into something larger.
3. Local flower shop Lake Highlands Flowers offers unique arrangements, top service
When Renarldo Parker took a job in a flower shop in the '80s, he thought he was just doing it to help out a friend. Now he owns the shop. Parker started working at Lake Highlands Flowers in 1985 and became good friends with the owner. When she decided to sell the business, he did not want another boss—so he bought Lake Highlands Flowers himself.
4. Welcome Stranger Tattoo taps into the 'true power of tattooing'
For Andy Felty, tattooing is about more than just inking his clients’ skin and showcasing his own art; it is about turning his clients’ artistic vision into a reality. The 12-year tattoo artist opened his own shop, Welcome Stranger Tattoo, in Lakewood in 2019. His goal was to create a “nurturing” environment.
5. Lakewood veteran finds inspiration, community as neighborhood barber
Before opening his barbershop, Set Lopez tried his hand at a number of trades, from bartending to nursing school to six years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Although he’s now the owner of 2-year-old barbershop Virtus Barber & Co. in Lakewood, Lopez said the idea of cutting hair had never crossed his mind until Halloween in 2013.
6. Customer service drives Rooster Home and Hardware's success in Lake Highlands
Quality customer service, specialized employees and curated inventory have made Rooster Home and Hardware a success, store owner Sharon Anderson said. Anderson bought the store in 2016, then called Gecko Hardware. She knew the store’s previous owner, Andrea Ridout, and decided to step in when the store was facing “some trouble.”
7. Passion for collecting inspires Dallas Vintage Toys
Dallas Vintage Toys owner Shaun Neinast has had a passion for collecting toys since he was young. Neinast began collecting when a neighborhood friend showed him several “Star Wars” toys. Neinast mentioned the toys to his father, who showed him the films, and that began a lifelong passion, he said.
