BIZ BUZZ

WHAT’S UP WITH NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES

ONE GALLERY CLOSES, TWO GALLERIES OPEN

Artisan’s Collective, which opened in the Bishop Arts District 11 years ago, is closing. The gallery’s owner, Ted Matthews, told the Dallas Morning News that his rent is $7,000 a month, up from less than $3,000 a month in 2006. While that gallery is closing, two others are opening in the Bishop Arts District. Jen Maudlin Gallery opened recently at 408 N. Bishop. And Advertising executive Cameron Smith is opening Bishop Arts Modern, at 508 W. Davis, “a mixed-media studio and gallery featuring his own work and the talent of guest artists in the realms of music, art and fashion.”

Nice Shaved Ice

Jerick Togami, a 20-year-old student at Dallas Baptist University, has leased a restaurant space on West Seventh at Tyler for Nice Ice Shop , serving Japanese shaved ice. Oak Cliff-based attorney Chad West recently renovated the 1,400-square-foot space, turning an old house into a restaurant with a big patio on the front. It also has some parking in the rear of the building. Togami says Nice Ice Shop will offer all organic syrups, condensed milk and ice cream. He’s already purchased machines that produce fluffy shaved ice. He hopes to open it as soon as April.

TWO-TIMES THE FARMERS MARKET

The Oak Cliff Lion’s Club Farmers Market is only about a year old, but it’s already expanding. The market is moving from Cliff Temple Baptist Church to Lula B’s on Fort Worth Avenue. It’s also going biweekly, taking place on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, from March to August. John McCall of the Lion’s Club says it’s possible they will increase the frequency of the market in May, June and July but nothing has been decided yet.

By BRENT MCDOUGAL