Tom Huang, left, Assistant Managing Editor for Journalism Initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, speaks to Wayne Gary, during a Dallas Morning News pop-up newsroom at Urban Rio in downtown Plano, Texas, Monday, September 28, 2026.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is bringing members of the newsroom directly to downtown Plano this week, giving residents a chance to meet staff, ask questions and talk about their community.
Reporters and editors from The News are working from the Urban Rio restaurant, located at 1000 14th St., Ste. 100, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday. Residents can drop in for conversations with reporters, editors and visual journalists and learn more about the newspaper.
Managing Editor Amy Hollyfield said this week’s pop-up is particularly exciting, as it’s the first one held in Collin County.
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“This is a pretty unique thing we’re doing,” Hollyfield said. “Not a lot of newsrooms are picking up parts of their room and going into a part of their community and setting up shop, but we have found it to be a great model for us to immerse ourselves in a community.”
Hollyfield said she’s spoken with several attendees so far, answering questions about the newsroom and The News’ journalistic mission.
Plano Council member Steve Lavine said he attended Monday’s pop-up because he thought it was important to speak with both members of the media and local residents.
“Newspapers play a key role in getting information to different people,” Lavine said. “It’s critical that [the media] is here, learning about what’s happening in our city and what our citizens are interested in.”
Lavine said Plano City Council is also working to improve communication with the city’s residents as a whole, including topics like local road construction and the proposed Dallas Stars arena.
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Jeremy Matthews, a Plano resident and member of the Stop the Stars Arena PAC, said he attended the event to speak about the proposed arena and its potential long-term impacts on the city’s property taxes and budget.
“Plano has done a pretty good job providing city services,” Matthews said. “I just don’t want to see those lessen.”
Plano resident Randall Chrisman attended Monday’s morning pop-up to learn more about the functionality of The News. He also asked about topics local to Plano like ongoing construction on Custer Road.
On Tuesday, residents can meet journalists over coffee at Lemma Coffee at 1023 E. 15th St. from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Drinks will be provided by The News.
Ann-Marie Gustafsson, left, director of the Wooden Spoon in Plano, listens to Lilly Kersh, a local government accountability reporter at The Dallas Morning News, during a Dallas Morning News pop-up newsroom at Urban Rio in downtown Plano, Texas, Monday, September 28, 2026.
Anja Schlein/The Dallas Morning News
The newspaper will also host two free panels in downtown Plano. “The Art of Place” will begin at 6 p.m. Monday at Ten 20 Gallery at 1001 14th St., Ste. 200, with a discussion about public support for the arts in North Texas.
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“The Future of Collin County” will bring together local leaders to discuss the county’s growth. The event will be held in the rooftop space of Urban Rio. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the panel starts at 6 p.m.
All events are free to attend, but participants are encouraged to RSVP at www.dallasnews.com/plano-popup. Parking will be available at Urban Rio and on surrounding streets. The event is also accessible through the Dallas Area Rapid Transit System via the Red Line, and during peak hours, the Orange Line.
This week’s pop-up event ends Wednesday, Sept. 30, with a listening session in partnership with the Wellness Center for Older Adults at the Sam Johnson Recreation Center, located at 401 W. 16th St., Plano. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP for the listening session at www.dallasnews.com/plano-listen.
The pop-up event is part of The News’ trust initiative, which launched in 2025. Since then, The News has hosted several listening sessions and community events to engage with the community it serves.
“We’re real people who live in this community and depend on everything about the community, the same way they are,” Hollyfield said. “It’s just a big deal for people to see who we are and get a feel for our integrity, honesty and transparency.”
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Related: How is The Dallas Morning News working to build trust with North Texas?
Hollyfield encourages readers and residents to come to the pop-up event, bringing questions and story ideas for the journalists at The News. She added that questions about how The News fits into the region’s media landscape and how specific editorial decisions are made are welcome.
“We hope for more people to come in and introduce themselves and talk to us,” Hollyfield said.