2024 MARCH| APRIL Plano Magazine

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CONTENTS 8 CATCHING UP WITH PEGGY LOHR 11 SUBURBAN YACHT CLUB 16 TEENS WITH NONPROFITS 20 LEGEND TATTOO 22 FOWLING WAREHOUSE DFW

letter from the editor Dear readers, As we head into the spring season, Plano too blossoms with lots to do. First, congratulations to all of our Best Of Local Services winners! From nail technicians to doctors, your behind-the-scenes work keeps all of our lives running smoothly. If you’re looking to get out and get active, check out the largest fowling venue in the United States on page 22. Or head to SESSION Pilates, The Barre Code, Neon Cycle + Strength, Gaia Flow Yoga or F45 Training, our Best Of Plano winners across each workout category. For a spring refresh, we’ve sat down with Legend Tattoo on page 20. Or head to one of our beauty/wellness winners like Brow and Wax Wizard or Plano Legacy Nails and Spa. If you’re looking for a getaway within Plano that’s a little more Instagrammable, check out Suburban Yacht Club, who’s outdoor patio faces the Boardwalk at Granite Park on page 11. And don’t forget to continue sending in nominations for your favorite shopping and dining in Plano and vote now for Best of Culture/ Entertainment through April 1.

Alyssa High Editor

FACES OF COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS

JAKE AND CHARLYN PLUNK Jake and Charlyn Plunk met at Texas Tech University while studying engineering and are passionate about education — especially STEM. They support local nonprofits through Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day each year and established a donor-advised fund at CFT, The Plunk Family Fund, as a way to streamline their giving and involve their children in their generosity. “It’s been really meaningful to see which nonprofits they choose to support each year,” said Charlyn. Witnessing their parents’ generosity and being the recipient of generosity through college scholarships was what inspired them to want to help others together as a family as soon as they had the opportunity to do so. “As parents, we’ve seen firsthand the difference that education can make in a young person’s life. Without the educational opportunities we had, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” said Charlyn. COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS 214-750-4222 CFTexas.org/Gratitude Giving@CFTexas.org

Challenger School offers uniquely fun and academic classes for preschool to eighth grade students. Our students learn to think for themselves and to value independence. Legacy (PS–K) (469) 573-0077 6700 Communications Parkway, Plano Independence (PS–G3) (469) 642-2000 10145 Independence Parkway, Plano

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Plano Magazine is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit public media organization. Donations are gifts to the Advocate and tax deductible.

BARIATRIC SURGERY OR WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS? BAYLOR SCOT T & WHITE MEDICAL CENTER – PL ANO EXPL AINS SOLUTIONS FOR FIGHTING THE DISEASE OF OBESIT Y It’s a hot topic these days: Everywhere we look, we see ads touting the benefits of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic® and Wegovy®. But what’s the real story? For people suffering with obesity, are such drugs a magic bullet for everyone? How do drugs that encourage weight loss compare with bariatric surgery results? Dr. Colleen Kennedy, M.D., medical director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Plano says about 40% of Americans are obese and have a BMI over 30. “Obesity has a stigma; these medicines have made obesity acceptable to talk about as the illness that it is, and they’ve brought it to the forefront of today’s conversations.” Originally, she says, these weight-loss drugs were developed to treat diabetes; but, surprising health benefits have emerged linking their use to substantial weight loss. Overall, weight-loss drugs are well tolerated by most people, Dr. Kennedy says. But once a patient starts taking the drugs, the drugs must be taken indefinitely or the patient’s weight will increase again. Side effects from the drugs include the slowing of gut motility, nausea and pancreatitis, and they’re associated with thyroid cancer. Another common side effect of weight-loss drugs can be insulin resistance, especially in post-menopausal women, Dr. Kennedy says. Insulin resistance can also be a side effect for some teenagers and women who suffer from infertility, and the drugs can cause spontaneous miscarriages. Abdominal fat also is a byproduct of insulin resistance, Dr. Kennedy says. The benefits of bariatric surgery are that it naturally decreases hunger, helps regulate glucose metabolism; doesn’t have the side effects that accompany weight-loss drugs, and is proven to be a long-term obesity solution without drugs. The most common options for bariatric surgery are gastric sleeve, gastric bypass and the duodenal switch, which is the least commonly used (less than 5% of patients). Lap bands and gastric balloons are other options, she says. “Balloons are effective for a desired 20-to 40-pound weight loss over six months but not the go-to for someone 150 pounds overweight and with obesity genetics,” Dr. Kennedy says.

Bariatric surgery patients can expect initial soreness, she says. But within four hours of the procedure, patients are walking around to prevent blood clots or pneumonia, and they start consuming liquids within two to four hours of surgery. Some patients go home the same day, but others don’t; each case is different, Dr. Kennedy says. Patients eat soft foods for one month following surgery and generally can eat regular foods within six weeks, she says. Patients can return to work within two weeks of surgery, depending upon the physical demands of the patient’s job. With bariatric surgery, weight loss is immediate — typically one-third of excess body-weight is lost in the first three months after surgery, one-half in six months and up to 80 percent after one year, Dr. Kennedy says. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center -– Plano performs more than 200 bariatric surgeries a year. Dr. Kennedy says for a longterm solution, surgery is the best option, but for those afraid of surgery, medicines are the best alternative route. They can also be used in conjunction with surgery. The ideal bariatric patient? “Everybody is different, and nothing about this process is easy, but the surgery is for someone who has accepted obesity is a medical problem, is dedicated to lifestyle changes, makes a commitment and follows up,” Dr. Kennedy says. For more information, contact Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano today 469.814.5677 www.bswhealth.com/ locations/plano-hospital/bariatric-surgery.

***Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of Baylor Scott & White Health or those medical centers.

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION Singer Peggy Lohr remembers a lifetime of entertainment story Simon Pruitt photography Kathy Tran

he Oscars was a religious h o l i d a y t o P e g g y L o h r. “When [my sister and I] were really little, we dressed up in my mother’s clothes and had our speeches ready as if we were winning the Oscars,” she recalls. “In high school, she traveled to Europe for choir and made connections that would eventually land her a full-time singing job.” Almost a decade into the business, she met her husband, Bill, a pianist working on a musical theory book. “ We m e t o n a j a z z g i g i n L A in 1985 and got married about a y e a r l a t e r, ” s h e s a y s . “ I c a l l u s the original La La Land couple. Now, because of our age, we can’t find the remote or the cell phone or keys. Now we’re the La La Land couple like that.” The couple began per forming together around Los Angeles, eventually becoming close with a group of composers that were on the board of directors for the A c a d e m y Aw a r d s . I n 1 9 8 8 , t h e y asked Lohr to book afterparty

entertainment for the show. By 1990, she was the entertainment, singing on a rotating 360 degree stage with her husband and an o r c h e s t r a b a c k i n g h e r. “I had a pencil and paper on my music stand to keep notes so I could call everybody back home,” she says. “I was still that l i t t l e g i r l f r o m Te x a s t h a t l o v e d the movies.” She worked the Oscars until 1993, before a devastating earthquake hit Southern California. “I turned 40, I had two babies in diapers,” she says. “The combination of all that was getting t o b e t r i c k y . Wo r k i n g a t n i g h t was okay, until my boys started getting to the school age. Then I started thinking, what was the purpose of having children if I’m going to be gone at night and they’re going to be gone during the day?” Sensing the moment, Lohr and her family moved to Branson, Missouri, where she began her first non-entertainment job as a s u b s t i t u t e t e a c h e r. S h e t a u g h t in Branson until 1999, before P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

moving back to Plano where she would teach for the next 17 years. She and Bill continued to play jazz gigs all the way through her retirement in 2016 and COVID-19 in 2020. “I said to myself, ‘number one, do we have enough toilet paper? Number two, do I have a mask that I use for vacuuming the house? And number three, are you going to write that memoir?’” Lohr says. L o h r be g a n c o mp ilin g t he best s t o r ie s a n d a n e c do t e s c o llect ed o v e r a c a re e r in s h o wbiz . Three y e a r s la t e r, H o wdy H o llywood wa s c o mp le t e , f e a t u r in g her s t o r ie s a lo n g wit h in t e r v ie ws wit h wo me n in t h e in du s t r y t h a t f aced s imila r c h a lle n g e s a s s h e did. The book is billed as “Music, Movie Stars and Mischief from Te x a s t o T i n s e l t o w n . ” “I started going back and examining, who am I, individually?” she explains. “Who is Peggy L a u r e n L o h r, a n d w h e r e d i d t h i s come from?” H o wdy H o lly wo o d is a v ailable o n A ma z o n a n d s e le c t re t ailers.

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Suburban Yacht Club’s SoCal coastal ceviche (left) features chef’s daily fresh citrus-cured seafood. The Flamin’ Hot Cheetos elote (right) is topped with queso fresco, cholula and cilantro.

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EMBRACING

THE TIDE Suburban Yacht Club serves up SoCal eats story Alyssa High photography Kathy Tran

u bu r b a n Ya c h t Clu b do e s n ’ t f e e l s u b u r b a n — o n t h e e dg e o f t h e B o a rdwa lk a t G r a n it e P a r k’ s wa t e r f ro n t p a t io a re a wit h f lo o r - t o c e ilin g win do ws a n d r a t t a n c h a ir s , it ’ s a n o de t o S a n D ie g o ’ s be a c h y v ibe . I t s s ix - we e k h o lida y p o p - u p wa s a s t re n dy a s s o me t h in g y o u ’ d f in d in D a lla s ’ L o we r G re e n v ille wit h c u s t o m c o c kt a ils in Ch r is t ma s - t h e me d c e r a mic dr in kwa re wit h h a n d- ro lle d t a ma le s a n d f re s h c h u r ro s . I t wa s wo r t h wa it in g in lin e f o r. A 3 3 R e s t a u r a n t G ro u p c o n c e p t , t h e Ca lM e x re s t a u r a n t is a s t a n do u t a mo n g t h e p iz z e r ia s a n d U n io n B e a r bre we r ie s t h a t ma ke u p t h e g ro u p’ s lin e u p . S u b u r b a n Ya c h t Clu b is s o le ly in s p ire d by f o u n de r P re s t o n L a n c a s t e r ’ s t ime in t h e S a n D ie g o a re a wh e re h e a t t e n de d c o lle g e a n d me t h is n o w- wif e . Yo u ’ ll s e e it in t h e me n u . T h o u g h it ’ s S o Ca l in s pire d, t h is is n ’ t y o u r t y p ic a l be a c h h u t t h e me d e a t e r y . “I t ’ s a g e t a wa y t o t h e c o a s t . I t ’ s t h e wa t e r c r a s h in g a n d re la x in g . I t ’ s a bs o lu t e ly g o r g e o u s o u t t h e re , ” L u s c h e r s a y s . “F ro m t a c o s t o s e a f o o d t o s imp le it e ms like b u r g e r s , t h e y ’ re a ll ju s t s o f re s h a n d t h o u g h t f u lly e x e c u t e d, like my c u lin a r y lo v e a f f a ir wit h Ca lif o r n ia in g e n e r a l. We wa n t e d t o b r in g ba c k t h a t , e mb r a c e t h e t ide . ” “T h e me n u is a c o n g lo me r a t io n o f s e a f o o d a n d Ca l- M e x , wit h dis h e s like a c r is p y g ro u pe r s a n dwic h , a Ca lif o r n ia c la s s ic b u r r it o o r a mix - a n d- ma t c h t a c o pla t e . O t h e r o p t io n s P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

This frozen cocktail, called the Piggy Likes to Party, is now served in a signature tiki glass shaped like a pig. The drink contains Absolut Watermelon, rose, orange herbal liqueur, watermelon and lemon.

inc l ude del Ma r sh r i m p , Ba j a b e e r -b a t t e re d f is h , car n e asada an d q ue sa b i r r i a .” “R i gh t befo re C O VI D , w e h a d p l a n s f or Sub u r b a n Ya ch t Cl ub, but a s e v e r yon e w a s i m p a c t e d b y everyo ne’s l i fe, w e w e re i m p a c t e d b y C O V I D a n d qu aran ti n es, ” Bri a n Lusc h e r, d i re c t or of c u lin a r y operati o ns fo r 33 R e st a ur a n t G roup , sa ys. “I t wa s a lways go i ng to h a v e a f oot i n se a f ood , a n d we s ta rted th i n ki n g a b out i t m ore a n d w h a t po s t C O VID guests w oul d w a n t , w e w a n t e d t o c re a t e a getaw ay. ” Onl y o n e thi n g d i st r a c t s f rom t h e a m b i an c e — the w eather. Thro ug h out w i n t e r, N or t h Te xa s’ br u t a l osci l l ati n g season s d on ’ t a l w a ys l e a v e roo m f o r pa ti o after n o o n s. SYC had a fix with a culinary twist — a holiday pop-up. For the holiday season, Suburban Yacht Club tur ned to Suburban Sleigh Club, fit with holiday décor from floor to ceiling and a holiday menu that had guests lining up out the door to get some homemade tamales and Instagrammable cocktails. “[I’d ask cust om e r s] , ‘ H ow d i d you h e a r a bo u t us? ’ an d they’re l i k e ‘ T i k Tok ,’ ” C l ose sa ys. Bui l di ng o n t h a t m om e n t um , Sub ur b a n Ya c h t Cl ub j ust unve i l e d a n e w c oc k t a i l m e n u wit h o ne-o f-a-ki n d gl a ssw a re sh a p e d l i k e t i k i s t a t u e s , l uau pi gs, a sh a r k a n d a p uf f e r f i sh . “We want t o c re a t e t h a t sa m e sor t of e n e r g y w e h ad behi n d t h e p op -up , b e c a use t he po p -

u p wa s s o do pe , ” Clo s e s a y s . “W h ile we wa nt to have re a lly h ig h qu a lit y , a ma z in g c o c kt a ils a n d amaz ing f o o d, we wa n t [ c u s t o me r s ] t o b e a b le t o post it and s h a re it wit h p e o p le . ” F re s h ju ic e s a re in c o r p o r a t e d in t o ma ny of the dr in ks , like t h e t ro pic a l Co ro n a do Ca mpf ire, which f e a t u re s M e z c a l Ve rde A ma r á s , lime , le mo n g rass and h ibis c u s s a lt , o r t h e T iki Ta i, a B a c a rdi Cu a t ro, orange Cu r a c a o , o r g e a t , pa s s io n f r u it , lime a n d tik i bitters b r in g in f re s h ju ic e a n d a be a c h f e e l. I t ’ s n o t ju s t f r u it y dr in ks , Clo s e e mp h a s iz e s. T h e P ic k Yo u r P o is o n , wh ic h f e a t u re s s e veral of 3 3 R e s t a u r a n t G ro u p’ s o wn liq u o r s f ro m it s barrel p ro g r a m, g iv e s g u e s t s t h e o p t io n o f a s tirred Old F a s h io n e d “y o u r wa y ” wit h R a l M c Co y 1 2 - year rum, 3 3 R G Co r a z o n R e p o s a do Te qu ila , 3 3 R G L ip S ervice R ye o r I le g a l A ñ e jo M e z c a l. A bo v e a ll, t h e S Y C t e a m e mph a s iz e s t hat t he re s t a u r a n t is n ’ t ju s t f o r s u n n y da y s o n t h e p at io — t he b o a rdwa lk g e t a wa y is o pe n y e a r - ro u n d. “I t ’ s n o t ju s t a b o u t t h e f o o d. I t ’ s n o t ju s t about t he c h e f . I t ’ s n o t a b o u t t h e dé c o r o r t h e s t a f f o r the views. I t ’ s n o t ju s t a bo u t t h e ba r p ro g r a m, it ’ s everything t o g e t h e r, ” L u s c h e r s a y s . “T h a t ma ke s t h e e x perience, a n d t h e n wh e n y o u ’ re a t e a s e , e v e r y t hing f eels c o mf o r t a b le . T h a t ’ s wh a t we ’ v e b e e n t r y in g t o do.” Su b u r b a n Ya c h t C l u b , 5 8 7 2 S t a t e H ig h w ay s u b u r b a n y a c h t c lu b. c o m, 9 7 2 . 9 0 5 . 3 6 6 4

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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TE E N S G I V E These 3 nonprofits are run by Plano students K C BA A typical college application consists of a high GPA and listin g s of “captain of a sports team” or “president of student council.” However, these Plano teens are beefin g up their apps by usin g their talents and interests for good by startin g their very ow n nonprofits.

story Alyssa High

BE THE LIGHT

Plano

high

school

students

have

banded

together

ensure

all

that

students have access to debate competitions,

which

have

been

around in American schools for over 100 years, through Be the Light Youth Association, a youth-led nonprofit.

to be a debate or speech judge. “Oftentimes, tournaments

don’t

“Our mission is to help promote

have judges but kids

speech and debate and use it to not

can’t compete unless

only help youth achieve their goals of

there’s

using their voices, but also to speak

there to judge them,”

for others who can’t,” Co-Executive

Co-Executive Director

Director Kate Lee says. “We see that,

Sanjana Kumar says.

through the donations we do, causes

somebody

Students

from

that may not be social or debate

Plano

West,

Plano

Senior,

Jasper

and

are

still

toward

Kumar, of Sanjana am consist te Light. or e ct th ire Be d courtesy of ’s executive ht hy p Lig ra e og th ot Be . Ph Anuj Lohtia Kate Lee and

Lovejoy high schools

helping our mission of equity.” The group was founded in 2019 by

because

host workshops each that

get

to go to our state and national

seven Plano high school students and

semester

provide

has grown to host several events and

a consistent classroom environment

tournaments for free, thanks to our

workshops that teach speech and

to teach speech and debate skills.

district. But for many schools in Texas,

debate skills. Funds raised from these

Instructors

and

that is not the case, despite the fact

events go toward underserved schools

national speech and debate finalists.

that they have equally as passionate

without robust debate programs.

Students are accepted from any

and hardworking students.”

consist

state

group

Classes, which are $200 for either

parents, especially those whose first

caters to students who come from

basic public speaking, advanced

language is not English, of students

school districts without robust speech

public speaking, extemp speaking,

and debate programs.

debate 1 or competitive debate, are

The Be the Light team works with

interested to

in assist

debate with

applying

background,

however,

the

executive

offered at in-person Plano locations

directors] come from Plano West,

in the spring and fall. Summer camps,

which is currently ranked [fifth] in

college seminars and tournaments

Texas and has been ranked [top 100]

are sprinkled throughout the year.

“All

three

[the

in the country in terms of speech

For

all

programs,

need-based

and debate,” Kumar says. “We are

scholarships are available based on

very, very grateful for the funding

the child’s free or reduced lunch

that

qualification.

our

school

district

gives

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

LIFTING ALL WOMEN Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Kate Liu and several members of Plano East’s feminist club decided that a school club wasn’t enough

—

they

wanted

facilitate

actual

help

change. “We got to thinking about the limitations that we were dealing with in the clubs that our schools try and do,” Liu says. “Advocacy projects are

very

limited

because

you have to go through the school district, so we decided to start our own organization.” Liu

thought

issues

facing women in our area and got to work establishing a nonprofit she called L.A.W., or

Lifting

All

Women.

The

group started with collecting menstrual products to provide free of charge in Plano ISD bathrooms.

Then,

the

girls

started meeting to discuss what else they could do. “There’s a lot of abortion medication

that’s

being

debated in the Senate and Congress,” Liu says. “So [we] sent our emails at the local, state and national level to talk about the issue.” As L.A.W. grew to students around

the

district,

In November, the group met at Chas u Kitchen to hear es from women in Lift Speechthe community an d create gift baske towels, hygiene pro ts with ducts and other go odies for Hopes Ne and Texas Muslim w Door Women’s Foundatio n’s programs for wo children escaping men and domestic violence . Photography Laure n Allen.

the

nonprofit expanded to start hosting seminars, called Lift

facing

their

we have an application

being a female-presenting

Speeches,

women

industries and how to get

on our website,” Liu says.

individual in their respective

from various industries could

into male-dominated fields.

“[We are] open to any

field or even as a student, to

female

“For anyone who wants

person who wants to share

present on a topic they’re

struggles

to speak at a Lift Speech,

their

really passionate about.”

come students

where

speak

about

women

experience

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

about

POLITIC FOR TEENS

(Top left) Politics for Tee ns meets after schoo l to discuss different po agreement on viewp litical topics, seeking oints and solutions thro to come to an ugh collaborative co group’s board of dire nversation. (Above) ctors include Julia Liu, Members of the Aryan Chilakamarthi, Rizwan Khan, Khosra Stephen (left to right) w Azizi and Max and Aadi Dhar (not pic tured). Photography Lauren Allen.

Each election, the discussion of how Gen Z will vote increases in conversation. More than half of the generation is of voting age, with more midterm voters than earlier generations at the same age, according to a Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement study of Census data. “I got into politics during the pandemic where we really had nothing to do, so I just started scrolling through Twitter and I started seeing all these people trying to come up with solutions,” Politics for Teens Founder Rizwan Khan says. “That’s what politics is, right? So that kind of inspired me to start getting involved working with campaigns [that are] local, congressional and city council.” Khan, along with a few of his classmates, started the Politics for Teens club last school year at Plano West Senior High School because they “sensed a polarized environment” at the school. How do you get people to come to after school politics clubs? Cookies. “People originally came to our club from being enticed by the cookies,” says club deputy director Maxwell Stephen. Then people started coming for the discussions. “[It] was a breath of fresh air, learning about politics and not having to deal with one side or the other, but having a good overview and then having a discussion where people can discuss their opinions,” Khan says. To ensure that the discussions did not become divisive,

the Politics for Teens team uses tools like “The Spectrum Game,” where a statement with two extremes is presented to the group and participants stand somewhere in the room that demonstrates where they fall on that spectrum. “It’s really unique how we facilitate as officers,” director of marketing Kate Cho says. “We always challenge whatever you say to the other side of the argument. It doesn’t matter what we personally believe, we make sure, with enough research and mediation, that we always challenge someone to think and look at the other side.” Realizing that students at their school were increasingly interested in the group and discussions, Politics for Teens hosted a voter drive for students who were already 18. Within the year, the group expanded from a school club to a nonprofit with 36 chapters in the metroplex and other states but also around the world in places like India, Switzerland and Israel. For area students, Khan and his team led a political forum, where Rep. Mihaela Plesa, Rep. Carlos Sherman, Fairview Mayor Henry Lesner, PISD School Board Member Bill Parker and Catalina Garcia from Dallas College came to discuss politics in the region. “Plano’s demographic is very, very diverse. We have multiple people from multiple ethnic backgrounds, religious backgrounds and even income backgrounds,” says Cho. “Beyond just presenting information, we always have individual voices, to be challenged and have more in-depth discussions and a variety of angles.”

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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LegEnd in the making

How one international tattooer brought the art to Downtown Plano story Alyssa High photography Lauren Allen

f you’re laying on Patrick Carmack’s tattoo table, the collection of traditional tattoo designs displayed against K Avenue’s signature brick walls and hipster vibes brings you to a welcoming conclusion: You’re meant to come in and let your tattooist get to know you, and you’ll definitely get to know them. Legend Tattoo’s artists are not your typical tattooers. Free from the hard drugs and debauchery that pervade the alternative scene, Carmack has carefully curated a career that centers around the art itself. Even if that lifestyle is what originally drew him in as a teen and inspires many a story that you might hear while on his table. His stories might start with the first tattoo he ever did, which took place in a former funeral home, where body refrigerators served as lockers for employees. Growing up in the ‘80s and early ‘90s with two strict parents, Carmack was drawn to whatever felt rebellious. Punk rock. Skateboarding. Leather jackets. And, after seeing tatted-up fans at heavy metal shows, tattoos. “They ignored the rules,” Carmack reflects. “That was appealing to me.” After turning 18, Carmack got a job at a biker shop that tattooed in Atlanta, not far from where he grew up, which he says was chock-full of much sketchier crowds than today. When he was ready to leave, his contract required that he couldn’t tattoo within 500 miles of the shop. However, long before tattoos adorned the bodies

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Legend Tattoo shop owner Patrick Carmack has been tattooing for nearly 30 years. He opened the Plano shop after operating in Austin under the same name.

of over 1 ⁄ 3 of Americans (and nearly half of Millennials and of-age Gen Z, according to Pew Research Center), tattoo shops were relegated to the outskirts of town and backrooms of businesses. “(My employer) had the old school electric toothbrush, guitar string sharpened and he’d be doing little f***ing ghetto tats on people,” Carmack says. “I was like ‘I could do that,’ even as a kid.” As he moved around the country learning from tattoo artists of different styles and backgrounds, earning his keep wasn’t as structured as it is today. Some of his first jobs included doing grunt work in exchange for getting tattooed, rather than a traditional apprenticeship that young tattooers experience today. “That’s what got me into it. For me, getting heavily tattooed back then was another ‘f*** you’ to society,” Carmack says. “Now, all the normies get it and it’s cool. I’m actually grateful for that.” After developing a reputation from tattooing all over the world, he opened a shop in Austin. The city’s tattoo shops are a dime a dozen, and though business was never slow, he says, it was time to move to a less saturated market. Coming into the Downtown Plano spot was a strategic move, looking to fill the lack of shops in the area. Opening didn’t come without pushback, however. Tattoo shops still carry a stigma from

their ‘90s edge-of-society reputation for some. A 2001 city ordinance prevented tattoo shops in Downtown Plano unless the tattoo services were in addition to a personal service shop like a store, beauty or piercing studio. After months of discussion, along with Carmack and his team going door to door to Downtown neighbors to spread the word of their desire to change the ordinance, City Council moved to allow two tattoo shops in the Downtown area by right in 2022. Since the ordinance changed, Legend Tattoo isn’t the same as the studio that it replaced, Carmack says. The tattoo shop is “more of a destination,” with a come-as-you-are vibe that encourages patrons to sit and stay a while — after all, tattooing is not a quick art. “What appealed to me is there is something to this day, after 27 years, this tattoo [is still looking the same],” Carmack says. “Something about the skin once I wipe it, boom, there it is. It triggers something on a very psychological level putting something there that wasn’t supposed to be there. It’s not like you were born with a tat. I get a little shot of dopamine every time.” While Carmack’s designs typically lean traditional, his portfolio covers fine line tattoos, Japanese traditional and dot work.

“Traditional tattooing has so much weight to it. A lot of people think it’s cartoony,” Carmack says. “It’s like Levi’s 501s and a white Hanes T-shirt. It’s classic and never goes out of style.” While some seasoned tattoo artists aim to continue the exclusivity and toughguy environment, Carmack sees it as an evolution of the art. “They get their hands tattooed and their neck and they take their shirt off and there’s nothing. It’s like they’re doing it all for attention … But then, if I’m realistic and I look back on it, that’s all I was doing it for as a kid,” Carmack says. “I used to have that elitist mindset and I know a lot of people who do … I’m a tattoo shop owner right? So I love it actually.” Tattoos are so common now, he notes, that anyone can walk into a doctor’s office or talk to a lawyer and see parts of sleeves or other tattoos peeking out. “Finally people are waking up and realizing it’s just a f***ing tattoo,” Carmack says.

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Legend Tattoo is located at 1428 K Avenue in Downtown Plano next to McNeal’s Tavern & Eatery and 1418 Coffee. On top of tattoos, Legend Tattoo is also home to Crucio Piercings, a Slytherin-themed piercing studio with customizable surgical-grade jewelry, and Icedd Teeth, a teeth whitening and tooth gem service.

A 10-PIN TOUCHDOWN Fowling Warehouse brings a new game to Texas story Krista Fleming photography Kelsey Shoemaker

r raig Worral had never seen anything like it. A packed warehouse, filled with families, couples and co-workers throwing around a pigskin and enjoying a sport no one

outside of the Midwest had yet seen. Worral looked around the room, then at his friends, who would become his team of initial investors, and with that one look they were decided — they were bringing fowling to Texas.

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Fowling Warehouse, an entertainment venue that first opened 10 years ago in Hamtramck, Michigan, is a mash-

over 70,000 square feet and a sprawling menu of food and beverages.

up game of football and bowling. Groups come in and split

Fowlers of all ages and abilities come in, split into teams

into two teams, facing each other to throw a football at 10

of five or less, grab a football (which comes in two sizes),

bowling pins.

and head to the bowling lanes. Facing each other, four feet

“Football [and] bowling is even bigger in Texas,” Worrall, now the director of operations at Fowling Warehouse DFW, says. “Why not bring that home for everyone to enjoy?”

apart, the two teams take turns attempting to knock the other teams’ pins down. It’s harder than it looks, many players say. Footballs, with

Worrall and his team pitched their idea to Fowling’s team in

their irregular shape, are quite bouncy. Knocking over near-

Michigan, demonstrating a desire to bring fowling to Texas,

by players’ pins is common and you’d better keep your eyes

but bigger and better, with a full-service kitchen and a larg-

on the ball or you might get hit. This is all part of the chal-

er warehouse space than any other location in the country.

lenge. To add to it, the red-cladden center pin serves as an

“Texas is a big state, so we felt pretty honored when they

end-all. If a player hits it and no other pin, it’s an automatic

chose us,” Worrall says. “They were excited to see we were

win, dubbed a “bonk.” Successful bonks get a ring of a bell,

tweaking up the idea a little. We were just in the right place

bringing attention from players across the warehouse.

with the right ideas at the right time.”

“We’re here for everyone,” says Raegan Cowell, the direc-

Before long, they’d joined the Fowling Warehouse fran-

tor of private event sales. “Anyone can fowl. It’s an all-inclu-

chise and became the only people licensed to open a Fowl-

sive sort of thing that anybody can come [to] and have a

ing location in the entire state of Texas.

really good time.”

With the whole state at their disposal for their first location,

Though they’re serving private events of 800 people, like

the team had to find a location large enough to house all

their annual New Year’s Eve party, corporate parties and

their plans with plenty of parking spaces. They wanted to

Chamber of Commerce business festivals, Fowling Ware-

keep true to the look of the original location, full of bright

house can accommodate 1,800. Fowling greets walk-in

colors and open spaces.

guests and parties with their rustic colors, big space and

“It had a really cool look to it — one we wanted to mimic,” Worrall says. “When we found this place, we bit off a little bit more than we could chew, but it worked out well for us.” Now, that dream is accomplished, with a warehouse of

sporting games on. “It’s still a slow process,” Worrall says. “We’re still educating people on what fowling is. Just getting them to say the name right is half the trick.” To attract more customers, Fowling hosts numerous events with food, drinks and activities like Friday Night Flights, trivia night, ladies night and seasonal events. Their menu features a vast array of appetizers, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads and sides for pregame and during-game snacks. They also offer shots, bombs, warehouse specials and alcoholic beverages. “Entertainment [venues]

are one of

the fastest growing areas in the hospitality industry,” Cowell says. “There’s some that have been around forever and others that are just now popping up. [Fowling] is a mashup of it all — you can eat, drink and have fun.” Fowling Warehouse DFW has also added video and arcade games, and a partnership with Plano Creamery to sell ice cream. Cowell said they plan to expand to new locations across Texas. “We’re making a difference,” Cowell says. “We’ve got a direct effect on the way this business succeeds and how it impacts others.” The Fowling team isn’t just a business. They recently launched a charitable “Fowlanthropy” program, which has already conducted a canned food drive.

Fowling Warehouse DFW, 1714 14th St., fowlingwarehousedfw.com

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