I Got Kicked Out of Starbucks

So I was in Oak Cliff this morning working on a story about the closing of its location on Illinois Avenue. It’s one of only three Starbucks in Oak Cliff. When I went in the store to get some reaction from the Starbucks’ staff, they were very nice, but made it clear they didn’t [or couldn't] talk to me, and quickly handed me a phone number for the corporate office as a manager held the door open for me ushering me quickly out the door.

Ah, such is the life of a nosey reporter…

Starbucks No More

Rumor has it that one of the Starbucks to be closed will be the one in Old Town Village.  Much to Merritt’s dismay, that was my favorite, and most-used Starbucks.

MillerCoors May Be On The Move

DCEO’s Dave Moore says the newly-formed company created out of the merger of beer companies Miller and Coors is on its way to North Texas.

Why is this important to you? It probably isn’t, but it does give me the opportunity to share a wee bit of trivia… (more…)

Re:SMU, You May Want to Call Your Lawyers

The comment-posting Overheardian “Tri Delta Lady” already said this, but the Mustang Realty pony doesn’t face the same way as the SMU one. The SMU mustang faces right. The Ford mustang points left,

And by the way, poster “JC,” you’re wrong about SMU taking the logo from Ford. They took it from us. [Sorry, it's a .pdf, but scroll down or search "Ford Mustang" in the document, you'll get the story]

Also, I don’t think SMU will be putting its lawyer pants on to fight Mustang Realty, they’re a pretty big athletics sponsor at the school.

I’ve Finally Made It

My career as a real estate reporter/editor is at it’s peak. I heard Ebby Halliday play the ukulele last night. (more…)

McClatchy Making Cuts, 130 Star T-ers to Lose Jobs

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram is losing 130 staffers, 17 of which were allegedly laid of this morning. My condolences to our journalism brethren.

But with all this glut of jobless newspaper folks in town, maybe this will get filled faster.

Verizon Yellow Pages Dumped 2,890 Pages of Trash on My Porch

Dear Verizon Yellow Pages,

Please stop littering my porch with telephone books, I don’t want them. And I’m just curious, but in a time when everyone is really focused on saving the planet, how is it that you feel OK dumping 7 pounds of trash in my yard?

And one more thing, how much did Allen A. Rad pay to be on the cover of your directory? I’m thinking People Newspapers could cut him a major advertising deal with perks like his face showing up on the right hand side of this blog and not in the trash.

Love,

Merritt

Hunt Petroleum Sells to XTO Energy

XTO Energy announced today that it has acquired Hunt Petroleum in a deal valued at $4.186 billion, $2.6 billion in cash and 23.5 million shares of XTO common stock valued at approximately $1.6 billion, or $67.50 per share.

XTO, among other things, is one of two companies that won bids to drill for natural gas on city of Dallas property.

Fence Staining More Popular Than I Thought

Since the release of the story I wrote about fence revitalizing company Stain That Fence, I’ve received five emails from readers wanting contact info for the Rob Shepherd and Tim Nichols. For those of you who haven’t emailed me, but want the same information, the company’s site is www.stainthatfence.com and they can be reached via e-mail at info@stainthatfence.com. You can call them at 214-303-9939.

Nothing Like a Good Morning Scam

Woke up to find a sweet, little postcard in my mailbox telling me I need to call them about some “Good News!” I like good news as much as the next person, especially on a Monday morning, however, I assumed it shouldn’t be trusted. I was right.

Apparently this scam has been going on for quite awhile and just made it’s way to me. However, if you find a little, yellow postcard with F.R.C. and an address of 1381 S. Missouri Ave., Clearwater, FL. Ignore it.

A Chick-Fil-A Rookie No More

I haven’t been to the Chick-Fil-A in Hillcrest Village yet. But I went to the one just north of Southwestern on the 75 access road for lunch today. The double-lane drive through was backed up onto the access road, and there were at least 50 folks eating inside.

What is the deal with Chick-Fil-A’s popularity? It was a good meal — better than I expected. But it’s still fast food. Can someone tell me what the big deal with this chain is? I’m about ready to invest in the company based on what I see at that location every day. It was busy until 1:50 inside, and still had 10 cars in the drive through well after the standard lunch hours.

More on the Shooting at NorthPark Mall

Frontburner is discussing security issues at Northpark after 5 men pulled a smash and grab yesterday. The bold crime, committed so soon after the May 16 shooting, raises concerns for many in the area.

Stephanie Hutson’s Leaving Us This Week

Krista beat me to this, but I’ll add my one cent’s worth.

The role of an assistant managing editor is a tricky one, and requires someone who can wear many hats. Stephanie helped everyone on our editorial staff make this a better set of newspapers each week, while also being one of our champion bloggers. She is going to be missed by our staff. It’s difficult to show an adequate amount of appreciation for someone’s job well done, and I fear we’ll fall short in recognizing Stephanie today and tomorrow. But if a public ‘thank you’ can suffice for now, you have it here in writing from me on behalf of the rest of the staff.

Thank you for all you’ve done Stephanie, especially for all the little things you did that we don’t know that you did to make these papers get out each week.

Progress?

So, in place of the late strip club “The Fare,” we will now have … another bank, in this case Washington Mutual. Supply your own punchline.

Quick … Get to Kuby’s…

Merritt says there’s a guy there who has the deal of a lifetime:

There is a salesman next to me meeting with a couple and I don’t know what the product is but he said, “I’m convinced it’s a miracle, everyone thinks I’m on anti-depressants.”

Then a moment ago, “It’s not your typical network marketing, you just refer people to try it and then it sells itself.” That is a miracle.

Bag Check Cha-Ching

It seems like traveling by air continues to cost more and more. First, the airlines pull the peanuts, then they charge for snacks and meals in coach. Most recently airlines implemented the second checked bag fee. American Airlines just announced the FIRST bag checked will cost you $15 each time it is checked. What will they think of next, pillow and blanket fees?

If Your Name is Something Like Lee and You Own a Dry Cleaners, Call Me

So I tried out the brand new dry cleaner in University Park. On Saturday when I picked up I used my debit card for $6.21. Last night I logged on to do some banking and noticed that the following charges were posted from the same dry cleaner:

• 05/07/08 $37.25
• 05/07/08 $37.25
• 05/07/08 $34.01
• 05/07/08 $32.94
• 05/07/08 $28.04

I called the store and the girl working there didn’t know anything about it and couldn’t credit my account. I asked who the owner was and she said she didn’t know his name but thought it was “something like maybe Lee.” She gave me Lee’s cell phone number but I still haven’t heard back from him. I called Bank of America to tell them I didn’t make the charges but they can’t do anything while the charges are still pending my account.

Lee, if you’re by chance an Overheardian, call me.

Sunny Skies

Forbes is reporting that Dallas is one of 10 “recession-proof cities.” In fact, the Lone Star state dominated the list, with the Big D ranking 10th behind San Antonio, Austin, and Houston.

One of the claims that Texas is doing well (comparatively) is “the availability of land–and, in some cases, little zoning–helped keep prices in these cities low. Instead of competing for homes, Texans could move to a new subdivision a little farther out.”

Great Day for EarthFest 2008

Looking for a way to play outside today from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.?  If so, head downtown to Pegasus and AT&T Plazas to “Take a Closer Look” at Dallas’ 2008 Earth Day celebration.  Enjoy the fresh air while checking out the 70+ exhibits, food vendors, balloon artists and face painters.  Be sure to catch the Recycled Fashion Show as all of the cutting-edge designs were created from recycled materials.

The event is a great opportunity to escape from the office or get the kids outside and celebrate the sunshine and learn more about how you can make a positive impact on the future of our environment.

Netflix to Deliver Cups of Coffee Via Mail

No, not really. But yesterday in the mail I got a coupon announcing that my friendly neighborhood Blockbuster Video is now open 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and is serving a variety of fountain beverages, coffee, and tea for my pleasure.

The coupon could only be used for the Hillcrest location across from SMU (and one other out in McKinney somwhere), so I imagine they’re using it as a pilot shop. I have a hard time imagining anyone dropping by Blockbuster for a cup of morning joe. (”I’ll have a double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon. And the Booty Call director’s cut please.”)

I haven’t been over to the Hillcrest Blockbuster in ages though, did they add a cafe area? Can anyone save me the trip?

(more…)

Snider Plaza Parking

I’m sure someone has already considered this solution to the parking issues at Snider Plaza: an elevated ramp system.    I just wonder if all those Suburbans would weigh too much to make it work. 

Something New at Mallies?

I noticed that the awning over Mallies in Snider Plaza has a sign that says, “new.” 

New what? I’ll need to know before I return. I haven’t gone there since I was shopping with a friend long ago and we felt like we were being followed too closely. Not like the “can I help you” follow, more like the “you’re going to steal that” follow.

Pack Your Bags, Park Cities

OK, so today may not be the best day to head to the airport, but starting next week, traveling abroad may get a lot easier. Thanks to an open-skies agreement that goes into effect March 30, you can take a non-stop flight from D/FW to Heathrow or hop a daily direct flight to Amsterdam. Maybe we’re in for less of this and more of that.

Re: American Airlines Hearts Facebook

Nothing says ‘young and trendy’ like big-time commercialization. Large corporations like AA may hope to win over the younger set, but I have a feeling it may not be well received. Big Brother is watching, and now he advertises. Oh, and your mom is on Facebook.

Retail Demolition = Chief Adams Must Find a New Starbucks

Chief Adams,

I’m sure the news concerning demolition of the shopping strip at Mockingbird and Central is hard for you because you’ll have to find a new Starbucks. Go ahead and savor the final days at your location but start visiting others too, it’ll help with the transition. I suggest Hillcrest in Snider Plaza. The parking is terrible but the employees are nice and you’ll fit in really well with the other regulars.

Of course, all of your Starbucks “friends” will be evacuated so you’ll probably buckognize a few old pals.

Yours Truly,

Merritt