BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

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Paperbacks Plus moves to Garland Road

Paperbacks Plus recently moved from La Vista, where it has been located since 1994, to the Lochwood area, next to Casa Linda Bakery. Owner John Tilton says the bookshop also is changing its name to Lucky Dog Books. The Writer’s Garret, which was housed on the second floor of Paperbacks Plus, is moving, too, to a separate space in the same shopping center. Paperbacks Plus first opened in Lakewood in 1976, and has occupied four retail spaces here, including a short stint on Lower Greenville after a 1993 fire. Its new store comprises about 6,000 square feet on a single floor, so even though it’s technically smaller, it feels like a bigger space, Tilton says. Like the old Paperbacks Plus, Lucky Dog Books is housed in a former insurance office, so it is sectioned into rooms.

Casa Linda Blockbuster closes

Blockbuster has announced plans to close 150 more stores nationwide, including the one in Casa Linda Shopping Center. That leaves the Blockbuster at Greenville and Lovers as the only Blockbuster in our neighborhood.

Little Bean opens under new ownership

When former Neiman Marcus fashion stylist Bianca Colgin saw that Junius Heights’ LittleBean children’s store was closing, she immediately contacted former owners Steven and Christine Visneau about buying the store. Colgin, who had worked with Steven Visneau, a photographer, on Neiman Marcus photo shoots, plans to continue the Visneaus’ original vision while expanding and updating Little Bean’s web business. “We will carry most, if not all, of the same designers for clothes and will continue to carry the toys and books that our customers love,” Colgin says. “Basically, I want to continue doing what Little Bean has been doing so well and expand what we have to offer so that it’s a one-stopshop for busy moms in Dallas.”

New Italian restaurant coming to White Rock

Verona Italian Café is coming soon to the White Rock Lake area, near Hypnotic Donuts and Barbecs Owner Zeqir Lokaj has opened locations of the reasonably priced Italian restaurant in Plano and Alba. The menu includes classic Italian specialties: calamari, fried mushrooms and bruschetta on fresh-baked bread, pizza, hot and cold subs, soups, salads and, of course, pasta.

Elm Street Tattoo owner on Spike

TV’s ‘Ink Masters’

Neighborhood resident and Elm Street Tattoo co-owner Oliver Peck, an internationally known tattoo artist, is starring in “Ink Masters,” a reality show on the Spike network. This isn’t another day-in-the-life of a tattoo shop like “Miami Ink.” It’s a competition, and Peck is one of three judges. (Think “Top Chef,” but for tattoo artists.) The other judges are Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction and Chris Nuñez, a tattoo artist who appeared on “Miami Ink.”

More business bits

The Balcony Club recently celebrated its 24th anniversary. Sundown at Granada, the new beer garden and restaurant adjacent to Granada Theater, is now open. Owner Mike Schoder named Sundown after his mom’s hometown, Sundown, Manitoba, in Canada.

The new Hypnotic Donuts on Garland Road is now open. The new Jakes on Henderson is now serving breakfast: huevos rancheros, hangover hash, eggs benedict, butter pecan pancakes and more. Former Bolsa chef Graham Dodds has replaced Blythe Beck as executive chef at Central214 Dodds graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Ore., and he has a pastry certificate from Le Cordon Bleu London.