Who could blame a restaurant for slating an autumn opening?

By this time, school is back in session, football has kicked off and Dallasites are returning to their routines. Some are returning from Euro summer, while the rest of us have been here, relieved for the day that the weather finally dips below 100.

Either way, we could all use a drink.

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Last month, about a dozen new concepts opened, ranging from upscale to casual to coffee to something familiar.

KFC wants to pilot new recipes in North Texas at a brand-new concept; a family-run specialty coffee shop is opening in Snider Plaza; three glitzy new restaurants were sprinkled in Uptown; and more food news.

Marlowe
2912 McKinney Ave.

The slightly mysterious, but glitzy new spot in the old Theory space is finally open. Complete with an adorable penguin mascot and custom ceramics from Marcello Andres Ceramics, Marlowe draws on vintage Art Deco glamour and modern energy. After its opening, it remains mysterious because they say this is a place where you don’t have to choose: bites or cocktails, conversation or celebration, intimate evening or a vibrant night out. Stay tuned for a first look.

Docent Steak
2801 N. Harwood St.

Docent Steak has been an anticipated opening in Dallas for over two years. Finally, its swords and samurai are here. Harwood Hospitality clearly took its time getting the details right. Docent Steak has one of the largest Kobe beef programs in Texas and is one of the only restaurants in the country authorized to sell the rare beef. Off the plate, samurai artifacts from the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum’s Samurai Collection decorate the dining room. It’s an exciting addition to the group’s portfolio, and as they reevaluate their roster, we can expect more anticipated openings to make themselves known going into the new year.

Wild Detectives – Ideas
321 N. Zang Blvd.

Sketches of Spain closed and Wild Detectives took up the old space to expand and divide their bookshop into two concepts, Ideas and Stories. The original Wild Detectives on 314 8th St. now houses stories of fiction (novels, poetry, Spanish-language literature, and children’s books), and this new concept on Zang is for books of nonfiction with history, philosophy, journalism and culture. Two bars. Two venues. One bookstore.

Kilo Coffee
6600 Snider Plaza

Kilo Coffee is one of many new coffee shops in Dallas. It’s a family-owned and operated specialty coffee shop where, as its slogan suggests, all things are considered. The shop partners with Onyx Coffee Roasters, an award-winning roaster, to serve meticulous pours in an aesthetic space.

KFC Open House
8751 Eldorado Parkway (McKinney)

Open House is a new KFC concept that will serve as a test kitchen of sorts. It still serves the same classic “finger lickin’” flavors, but now with recipes that aren’t available at any other restaurant in the chain. If new dishes, products and experiences succeed in this location, they may roll out nationwide to over 3,500 locations.

La Rue Doughnuts
4747 4th Army Drive (Frisco)

Everyone living north of 635 was so jealous when La Rue Doughnuts opened in Trinity Groves that now they have opened a second location in Frisco. The hype is real.

Vidorra
700 W. State Highway 114 (Grapevine)

Vidorra has its eyes set on three new locations. One just opened in Grapevine and two others are coming soon to McKinney and even Nashville. Remember, every Monday is half-off margs.

Cocoandré
423 Centre St.

Andrea and Cindy Pedraza, the mother-daughter duo behind Cocoandré in Oak Cliff for 15 years, closed the shop in 2023 so Andrea could retire and Cindy could take over the business. The last three years have been spent finding a new space and expanding the business beyond chocolates. It finally opened last week with almost 4,000 more square feet for the team to work with.

Élephante
2701 Maple Ave.

Last month, Dallas saw a rare white elephant.

JOEY Maple
2508 Maple Ave.

The decrepit-looking parking lot off Maple Avenue has been filled with an upscale concept hailing from Canada, called Joey. There’s already one Joey location in Dallas. It opened inside the North Park center, replacing Seasons 52. This new location joins many new additions to Uptown and is across the street from the Crescent, next to Truluck’s. It’s a bit like Capital Grille, with a menu that has a “something-for-everyone” ethos with pasta, steak, fish, salads and bowls with global influence.

San Martin Restaurant & Bakery
5500 Preston Road

San Martin is a Guatemalan bakery and restaurant that opened its first Uptown location in 2018. Since then, they’ve opened a second location in Addison, and now they have a third in Plano they just finished celebrating a grand opening for. Founded in Guatemala in 1974 by Andrés Castillo, they had over 41 locations in Guatemala and 9 in El Salvador before expanding to the U.S.