Ty Underwood of SLJ Co. real estate says the old Tipperary Inn space at Live Oak and Skillman has been leased. The Tipp has been empty since its owners of five years closed it in May 2009. Co-owner Ricky Woolfolk says he and two partners expect to open Molly Maguire’s, an “authentic Irish pub”, as early as the first week of June. They’re creating an all-new Irish menu and updating the building’s patio area, but leaving the interior as is. Expect live music on the weekends, and the place will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Woolfolk has 22 years of experience in the bar business, and used to own the Dolce Lounge. Another business partner, Hallie Clayton, has 18 years in the business and used to own Glo Lounge. Lakewood residents are already stopping by to see what all the hubbub’s about. “Everyone seems really excited about it,” Woolfolk says.
After almost five years in business, owner Gretchen Bell is expanding her unique antiques mall, Dolly Python. Bell leased the space next door to the existing store on North Haskell, and workers recently took down the wall between the spaces. The store currently has 25 vendors, and Bell is adding seven more for the new space. “We’re focusing more on furniture,” she says. “Just crazy, campy, over-the-top stuff.” Along with furniture, the store will have even more boots, including cowboy, motorcycle and ’80s trendy boots. Dolly Python is known for its eclectic mix of goodies from almost every decade, including funky ’60s dresses, vintage cowboy boots, unusual costume jewelry, old taxidermy, new art and all sorts of one-of-a-kind items. Check out the Advocate’s Back Talk East Dallas blog for more details on the grand re-opening.
Chuck Cole, owner of Corner Market on McCommas and Greenville, has a new set of wheels, thanks to Mike Rowe of The Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” and Ford’s “Swap Your Ride” campaign. Visit our Back Talk blog to find out how Cole came to own his new black delivery truck with neon decals, which you may have seen driving around our neighborhood. Cole’s deli/bakery/florist is housed in a building that was once a pharmacy, and it has a comfortable, nostalgic feel to it. It’s a great place to grab a tile-topped table, order a hot or cold sandwich (yummo pulled pork), and watch all the passersby on Lower Greenville.
A few doors down from Corner Market is a new pet store, Avenue Barket. The store, next to Buffalo Exchange, is a “holistic and natural organic dog boutique with intentions of bringing the community closer,” says co-owner Jennifer Livingston. Livingston was a private chef who owned Another Roadside Attraction, the Deep Ellum restaurant housed in an Airstream trailer, in the late ’80s. Her business partner, Cindy Embrey, worked for a food supplier. “We want to have SPCA pet adoptions on the weekends and bring in speakers to encourage people to take care of pets in the natural way,” Livingston says.
Neighborhood shop Green Living and neighborhood resident Howard Garrett, aka “The Dirt Doctor”, announced a new collaboration they hope will provide customers with a single destination for social networking and information on environmentally sound products for those seeking out a “more natural lifestyle”. Green Living sells recycled, organic, natural and fair-trade products for the home, and Garrett hosts two nationally syndicated radio shows: “Green Living” on Saturday mornings and “Dirt Doctor” on Sunday mornings, which air in more than 100 markets across the country. Initially, Green Living and Garrett will adopt a common navigation on their respective websites, allowing customers to access all content and merchandise from either site. Over the coming months, they will work together to introduce a new website that integrates content, community and commerce for the customer.
Got specs? A couple of local businesses are drop spots for OneSight, a family of charitable vision-care programs dedicated to improving vision through outreach, research and education. OneSight collects gently used prescription eyewear and non-prescription sunglasses to recycle and hand-deliver to clinics in the United States and developing countries. So if you’ve recently had Lasik, or just happen to have lots of old prescription eyeglasses lying around, take them to Target Optical Center (in the Skillman and Abrams Super Target) or Pearle Vision, 8989 Skillman.
Potter Art Metal Studios, longtime neighborhood designers and fabricators of ornamental metalwork and lighting, is celebrating 90 years of custom creations. Not familiar? You’ve probably unknowingly seen some of Potter’s work on high-end residential and commercial projects, including the famous Clifford Hutsell and Charles Dilbeck houses in Lakewood, as well as the Hunt Oil Building Downtown, the Stoneleigh Hotel and Highland Park United Methodist Church. The studio’s heritage dates back to the 1920s, when Henry Cornwell Potter turned his hobby of making small wrought iron lanterns in his East Dallas garage into a thriving business. In 1924 Henry established his commercial studio on Henderson, where the business flourished for 80-plus years. (Drivers heading north on Central Expressway toward Henderson can still view the faded Potter sign on the former exterior.) After outgrowing this space, the shop moved to its current 12,000-square-foot operation at 4827 Memphis near Inwood in 2007. Richard Potter, Henry’s grandson and current owner, continues his grandfather’s legacy, and often involves his 20-year-old triplets during the summer months in hopes that they may one day carry the family torch. For information, call 214.821.1419 or visit potterartmetal.com.
