BUSINESS BUZZ

The lowdown on what’s up with neighborhood businesses

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Birth announcement

The Kessler Theater has a new sister.

Kessler owner Edwin Cabaniss bought the Heights Theater in Houston with plans to renovate it into a venue similar to his first musical baby. If all goes as planned, the Heights could be dazzling Houstonians’ ears by 2016. This addition to the Kessler Theater family is expected to draw more artists to Texas with back-to-back bookings in two major cities.

The Heights was built in 1928, so it’s actually older than its sibling, which was built in 1941 and renovated in 2008.

Obituary

Urban Acres Farmstead, whose mission of providing local and organic meals and groceries to our neighborhood boosted the accounts of many Texas farmers, has closed. It was 18 months old.

“We’ve seen a lot of folks in the organic sustainability market struggle here in Dallas,” Urban Acres founder Steven Bailey stated in a release. “We were hoping to be one of the few who could weather the storm, but after many hard discussions the wisest thing for us to do is close down our brick and mortar location. We are truly sorry to be closing the doors of the farmstead.”

The farmstead is survived by the Urban Acres grocery co-op, which offers produce shares from the Beckley location. Melt Ice Creams will continue its pop-up shop inside the store from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday through Oct. 31.

Urban Acres started about five years ago as a grass-roots produce-share co-op. It expanded to include a storefront on West Davis and then the “farmstead store” on Beckley, which showcased honeybees, chickens, rainwater collection and other urban farming modules.

Channeling Bonnie and Clyde

A 1930s inspired bar opened recently at the corner of West Davis and Bishop is named after West Dallas outlaws Bonnie and Clyde.

Parker Barrows Drafthouse and Deli has refurbished ceiling fans, pendulum lamps and an industrial fridge from the ’30s to match its period décor.

Bar manager Adrian Abeyta has worked up a menu of six classic cocktails and six seasonal cocktails. There are 24 taps — 23 for beer and one for root beer. Chef Kevin MacClaren will offer a menu of traditional New York deli-style sandwiches. All the bread and desserts will be baked nearby at Cretia’s.

Parker Barrows is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., making it one of a few of late-night spots in Bishop Arts.