BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

Send business news tips to livelocal@advocatemag.com with Mike Mullen and Jason Pantenburg in the venture.

Raise a glass and toast the finale of one of the neighborhood’s most beloved watering holes. White Rock Sports Bar served up its last food and drink after 17 years in business. When it first opened in 1998, it was Shady Side Café, and quickly drew in a legion of loyal patrons. It’s not yet clear what will come in to the now-vacant Lake Highlands Village site on Buckner Boulevard. The center’s new owners, Highland Capital Management, seem to be revamping the space, changing the brick-red façade to a stark white with plans to rename it White Rock Center.

For the felines

Restaurants open, close and get revamped

Coffee addicts might have had the shakes for a week recently when beloved White Rock Coffee on Northwest Highway was closed for renovations. But fear not, caffeine addicts; the business re-opened quickly with sleek rustic industrial design elements.

Pluckers Wing Bar on Upper Greenville has also shut its doors with plans to overhaul the interior to double the space available, including the addition of a new patio. Last we heard, they were planning to reopen sometime in mid-December.

Sources tell us Meso Maya is making its way to the Southwest corner of Mockingbird and Abrams, replacing a dental office and a laundromat. The popular eatery has two other locations in Dallas; it is part of the Firebird Restaurant Group, which owns the Dallas Tex-Mex brands El Fenix and Taqueria La Ventana, as well as Snuffer’s restaurant chain.

Shawn Rao and Jonathan Serrano, the duo behind Social House, are said to be building a new restaurant with a 9,000-square-foot patio on Belmont and Greenville. Crews already have ripped out the concrete at the old Shell station that closed earlier this year to make way for the yet-to-be-named restaurant. Their plan is to offer food, drinks and games like ping pong, bubble soccer, giant Connect 4 and Jenga.

In July we announced Lakewood Smokehouse would replace Ali Baba in the Lakewood Shopping Center. The full-service restaurant with classic barbecue fare is set to open in mid-December. Jason Hall of Frisco’s 3 Stacks Smoke and Tap House partners

The East Lake Cat Care Center earned the distinction of being named a “cat friendly practice” at the “gold status” level by the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Karen Fling, DVM, opened the East Lake Cat Care Center in 2013. “We have worked very hard to create a facility that is entirely focused on cats,” she says.

What’s that under construction?

Construction continues at the 19-acre apartment complex at Sandhurst between Skillman and Amesbury, known as The Branch Developer JLB Builders plans to build almost 1,400 apartments and townhomes, replacing several blocks of older apartments built in the 1960s.

It’s been months since developer Moran Capital LLC bought the property at the Northeast corner of Skillman and Mockingbird where two gas stations once stood. Recently, they announced the space will soon house a two-story SKMK Emergency Room, which also has medical facilities in El Paso.

Local soap makers open retail shop

White Rock Soap Gallery‘s regular booth at Good Local Markets in Half Price Books’ parking lot has grown into a retail shop in Northlake Shopping Center on Northwest Highway at Ferndale. The company recently began renting space for manufacturing, shared with Gecko Hardware, and the retail front aims to be a “gallery of local artisans, all-natural body care and soaps, and good stuff for people,” says co-owner Keith Bailey. The shop is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Lamplighter delivers serious education wrapped in the wonder of childhood.

Learn more. Join us for a tour. Contact the Office of Admission and Placement at 214.369.9201 ext. 347 www.thelamplighterschool.org

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the NEW has come!”

II Corinthians 5:17

Open House

Jan. 14th

Zion Lutheran School provides a quality Christ-centered education.

6121 E. Lovers Ln. (@ Skillman) Dallas, TX 75214 214-363-1630/ ziondallas.org

OPEN HOUSE

JANUARY 31 SCHOOL TOUR JAN. 13 &

SERVING AGES 3 MONTHS - ADULTS

4411 SKILLMAN Preschool & Elementary School

214-826-4410

5740 PROSPECT Nursery School & Adult Program

214-826-6350

DallasSpanishHouse.com

WHITE ROCK NORTH SCHOOL

214-328-9131 x103 njacobs@stjohnsschool.org

SJES admits qualified students of any race, color, religion, gender, and national or ethnic origin.

• Classic education

• Dedicated to the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development of children

• 3 years through 6th grade

Highlander School

9120 Plano Road, Dallas, TX 75238 214-348-3220 www.highlanderschool.com

Since 1966 The Tradition Continues…

‧Infants-Elementary ‧Exemplary Tech Initiative ‧Low Class Ratios

‧Accelerated Academics

‧Student Garden

‧Fine Arts: Dance, Music, Art

‧Extensive P.E. Program: Skating, Swimming & Archery Call for a Tour: 214-348-7410

WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

Highlander School

9120 Plano Rd. Dallas / 214.348.3220 / www.highlanderschool.com

Founded in 1966, Highlander offers an enriched curriculum in a positive, Christian-based environment. By limiting class size, teachers are able to build a strong educational foundation to ensure confidence in academics, athletics, and the creative and performing arts. Highlander offers a “classic” education which cannot be equaled. Monthly tours offered; call for a reservation.

Lakehill Preparatory School

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep. org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

The Lamplighter School

11611 Inwood Road Dallas TX 75229/ 214-369-9201/ thelamplighterschool.org

Lamplighter delivers serious education wrapped in the wonder of childhood. The Pre-K through fourth grade years are fleeting, but filled with pure potential. What we, as parents and educators, ignite in these primary years establishes the trajectory of a child’s future. Lamplighter helps set children on a path toward rewarding lives as forever learners. The independent, co-educational school promotes academic excellence through innovative curriculum that merges fine arts with language arts, math, environmental science, social studies, physical education, and Spanish

Spanish House

4411 Skillman 214-826-4410 / 5740 Prospect 214-826-6350 / DallasSpanishHouse.com

Spanish Immersion School serving ages 3 month - Adults. We offer nursery, preschool, elementary and adult programs at two Lakewood locations. Degreed, native-Spanish speaking teachers in an “all-Spanish” immersion environment. Call for a tour today!

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131

Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

/ stjohnsschool.org

Obituaries

White Rock North School

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410

/ WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-of-the-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.

Zion Lutheran School

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

of our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools. 69%

Dallas mourns the death of John Hardman, who delighted generations as the voice of craggily-faced Scrooge puppet that teased shoppers for decades as part of the Christmas display at the NorthPark Center. He died Nov. 4, 2015, surrounded by family and friends, after a battle with cancer. He was 80. Hardman began his beloved Scrooge character in the 1970s, and also oversaw the World on a String exhibition at the State Fair of Texas.

Marvin Stelzer, the Lakewood neighbor who founded a movement to clean up Tietze Park in the 1990s, died Oct. 29 at age 94. Stelzer made a lasting impact by assembling a team of volunteers and received support from local officials and police to keep the park free of drugs, graffiti and litter.

People

Specialized Bicycle Components gave injured cyclist Deb Culbertson a brandnew bike. Culbertson, 26, was crossing the Santa Fe Trail at Munger a while back when a driver ran a red light and slammed into her, causing a concussion and serious injuries to her leg and neck.

Education

Bishop Lynch High School senior Michael Gao is a National Merit semi-finalist. He scored in the top 1 percent of PSAT test-takers in Texas. New private school La Aldea Montessori hosts a Winter Wonderland family party and open house Thursday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at White Rock United Methodist Church, 9125 Diceman. The school plans to open in fall 2016 with a first- through third-grade dual language Montessori program. Find more information at laaldeamontessori.com.

Business

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake recently named David Bittner as associate administrator/director of business development. Bittner has worked in healthcare management for more than 11 years; he previously served Spalding Regional Hospital and Sylvan Grove Hospital in Atlanta.