Advertising industry executives Bill Milkereit and Todd Tucker have formally launched a new branding agency, Poke The Bear in Dallas. Milkereit and Tucker are both former TRG (formerly The Richards Group) leaders and have worked on deliverables for clients inlcuding Chick-fil-A, The Home Depot, Fruit of the Loom, The Atlanta Falcons, and the Southeastern Conference.

“As we like to say, every brand faces a bear of a challenge. It could be a lack of awareness, or a misperception, or a crowded shelf, or at the mercy of a big, slow creative partner that’s neither all that creative nor much of a partner. We encourage any brand to think and act as a challenger brand—and we are committed to owning the challenge with them,” says Tucker.

The two are betting on the agency’s name making a powerful impression. “Poke The Bear is exactly what we’ve made a successful career doing. We poke. We prod. We provoke, and brands prevail,” says Milkereit. “This name and logo are impossible to ignore. Poke The Bear not only reflects our style but also, to any potential partner, it’s our agency’s big differentiator.”

Nature Nate’s Honey Co., Darden Restaurant Group’s Yard House, Eddie V’s and Capital Burger, and Johnsonville through lead agency HoldFast & Co, are among Poke The Bear’s first clients.

Poke the Bear will operate as an independently owned partnership and recently hired a director of operations.

Former ownership company for The Village in North Dallas Lincoln Property Co. has sold its residential division, Lincoln Residential, to Toronto-based Cadillac Fairview. Cadillac Fairview first acquired a 49 percent interest in Lincoln Residential to support and grow multifamily property operations and investments across the United States in 2019. Now, it has gained majority ownership.

Mack Pogue, who founded Lincoln Property Co, in 1965, and Tim Byrne, Lincoln Residential’s retiring CEO, have retained a 5 percent interest in the business. Lincoln Residential is no longer affiliated with Lincoln Property Co.’s commercial division and operates as a separate, independent company.

“For the past five years Cadillac Fairview has been actively focused on growing and diversifying its global real estate portfolio with best-in-class partners, and since collaborating with Lincoln Residential in 2019, we’ve had tremendous success, which speaks to the strong collaboration between our leadership teams,” said John Sullivan, president and CEO of Cadillac Fairview.

Under Mack Pogue and Tim Byrne’s leadership, Lincoln Residential has grown to be one of the largest multifamily operators in the United States with more than 4500 employees. In 2019 Lincoln and Cadillac Fairview co-sponsored a long-term investment program focused on the development and acquisition of high-quality multifamily assets in top U.S. markets. To date, Lincoln Residential has completed over $1.5 billion of acquisitions and has another $2 billion under development, with significant planned expansion of this program.

As part of the acquisition, Duncan Osborne will succeed Tim Byrne as CEO, who has held the position since 1984. Osborne joins Lincoln Residential with more than 25 years of experience in real estate, investments, and commercial transactions. He most recently served as executive vice president, investments with Cadillac Fairview, where he led the firm’s international business and spearheaded the partnership with Lincoln Residential. Additionally, Jeff Courtwright will assume the new role of president, national development, and Chris Stallsworth has joined Lincoln Residential as executive vice president, investments and asset management to build out the company’s asset management and investment capabilities.

NASDAQ-traded residential homebuilder Landsea Homes has announced plans to move its Newport Beach headquarters from California to Dallas. The new headquarters office will be located at 1717 E. McKinney Avenue in Uptown and totals 7,716 square feet. Landsea Homes will occupy Suite 1000 on the 10th floor of the building.

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“In addition to the logistical advantages Dallas offers, we believe this relocation is beneficial from a number of standpoints, including a lower cost of living and access to a highly educated workforce, which will be critical as we continue to build our corporate team,” said John Ho, chief executive officer and director of Landsea Homes.

Landsea Homes is building homes and communities in Arizona, Florida, Texas and throughout California in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Orange County. “This is a strategic move in the best interests of our shareholders,” Ho says. ““In addition to our overall coast-to-coast growth strategy, we are very focused on growing our homebuilding footprint in Texas, and this move demonstrates our strong commitment to the state.”

Real estate investors and developers Stillwater Capital and Grandview Partners signed a 904,495 square-foot lease at Forney Logistics Crossing, a Class A distribution facility built in 2022. Located at 11333 County Road 212, this lease adds to Forney’s fast-growing industrial submarket, which has facilities for Amazon, Goodyear, and Walmart. In the transaction, Nathan Lawrence and Krista Raymond at KBC Advisors represented GVSW Forney Property Owners. Greg Nelson of Paladin Partners represented tenant Hayes Co., a Wichita-based firm.

Stillwater Capital, a fully integrated real estate investment and development company founded in 2006, is known for transforming innovative ideas into unique environments. PGA’s new headquarters in Frisco is among its current projects.

Stay up to speed on DFW’s fast-moving business community with weekly news reports, interviews, and insights.

There's a new brewpub coming to Dallas-Fort Worth with not one but two locations. Called Boozie's Brewery & TX Fare, it's a full-service brewpub that will feature chef-driven food including Texas specialties, plus a fully functional brewery and full bar.

It'll open in Fairview Town Center in Collin County; another location will open in Fort Worth, called Boozie's Brewery & Gourmet Sandwiches.

The concept, which truthfully could have a better name, is from a team that includes founder Bruce Conti, chef David Hollister, Chip Stroup, and brewer Bobby Mullins. Which one of them came up with "Boozie's"?

Gonna guess "Boozie's" was Conti's idea.

Boozie's came out of Wild Acre, the brewery-brewpub combo which Conti was a part of. First they opened a brewery, then a brewpub at 6479 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, which earned a nomination in CultureMap's 2022 Tastemaker Awards for Best Restaurant of the Year.

In 2022, Wild Acre Brewing was acquired by Dallas-based Bishop Cider. They kept the original brewery.

Conti and company kept the brewpub spinoff, which will become a Boozie's, where they'll continue to serve a menu of elevated bar food crafted by chef Hollister, but with a new lineup of beer brewed by Mullins.

The Fairview location — at 311 Town Pl., in a space once occupied by a kooky restaurant called Wyland's Ocean Blue — is new, although it's been in the works for a while. (It was originally floated as a Wild Acre location.) They've already installed a dozen brewing tanks.

Both locations will feature a brewery on-site, and they'll also be transitioning from beer-and-wine-only to a full bar, so they can serve cocktails.

The menu at Fairview will be a departure from the sandwich theme of the original menu in Fort Worth, giving Hollister — a Le Cordon Bleu graduate who once worked as a sous chef for Grady Spears — a chance to create a new menu.

"We'll be showcasing more Texas cuisine — not barbecue, but more like trail food," he says. "We're working on a chicken-fried steak with a sourdough breading. We'll be doing a true Texas red chili, and a fun Texas caviar."

Since the location is in Fairview, they're also going to play with a state fair theme including a funnel cake dessert with a Dr Pepper caramel sauce.

No opening date yet, but they're already hiring staff so it'll definitely be in the fall.

While no longer the hidden secret it was when it opened 20 years ago, Heritage Ranch Golf & Country Club, just outside the Allen city limits, still is as popular as ever for Collin Country golfers and others eager to enjoy private club golf at public golf prices.

Don’t let the name country club put you off from your latest golf journey. Heritage Ranch, recently acquired to be managed by Troon Golf, has a large and active private club membership in the gated community, but it’s fully open to the public all the time.

Approximately 40,000 rounds a played here a year, with golfers looking for the same things: challenge, beauty, top course conditions and a good pace of play.

“I tell our staff and our players the same thing all the time.,” said longtime Heritage Director of Golf Charlie Mabie tells Local Profile. “we offer quality, top customer service and good pace of play.”

The Arthur Hills designed course (Hills also did one local Trophy Club course) opened in 2002. This may be his best and most complete work yet after courses TPC-Coral Springs in Florida and Hyatt Hill Country in San Antonio.

The course is chock-full of personality with fantastic routing, elevation changes and strategically placed water features that will challenge every aspect of your game. With a par-72 layout that plays 6,998 yards from the tips, the course has some teeth but won’t leave you considering selling your clubs in the parking lot when you finish your round.

The layout is part of a planned massive active senior community, measuring 6,988 yards from the back tees. Set on 575 wooded acres, Hills created holes framed by huge trees in many places along with massive bunkers and lakes, plus open fields.

Two other touches familiar to pros, but not always the public golfer, are the large use of chipping areas which emphasize this often neglected skill and thick collars of rough which surround many of the greens and won’t allow many of the familiar bounced-up approach shots.

“The course has plenty of wide-open fairways, 40 yards in some places, with not that many bunkers (20-30), but you better hit the green complexes at the right level for where the pin in because there are some pretty tough pitching and chipping areas,” says Mabie.

Water comes into play in several locations on the front nine with a creek and several ponds as well.

Three of his best holes are on the back nine including the par-4 10th hole, which is downhill and drivable for the biggest of hitters, but only if they avoid the huge tree and larger bunker guarding the front of the green. The par-3 12th hole has a large mound in front of the green with sand left and water right.

The par-3 16th hole is the best of the bunch and could be one of the best anywhere in North Texas. At 208 yards from the back tees, the fairway crosses a small stream and then goes steady upward in a series of plateaus with exposed limestone and a hidden lake on the left.

With tee boxes spaced between nearly 7,000 and 5,000 yards, there is a correct teeing spot for every level of golfer with Tift eagle greens and 419 Bermuda fairway all in expert condition thanks to longtime superintendent Monty Ashworth.

According to Mabie, another factor local golfers may not have considered when booking a round at Heritage Ranch is the ease of play on the weekends, different from most local courses.

“Because we have a large retirement community, much of the play during the week is from members who can play anytime they want with no jobs to go to,” says Mabie. “During the weekend, they don’t play much with grandkids and other activities so it’s probably 60-70 percent public on Saturday and Sunday.”

Par: 72 Yardage 6,899 to 5,188 yards

Ball Count Needed: 1-plus sleeves should be fine here. Some water and some trees.Toughest Hole: The par 3 16th at nearly 210 yards from the back tees with a long carry to the green, water left with a large bank and a narrow green. It’s all you want. Bonus: The grinder, an Italian meatball sub at Corral Grill, is a bestseller. Plus golf legend Lee Trevino’s son Tony is the GM. He’s got stories!

Heritage Ranch Golf & CC465 Scenic Ranch CircleFairview, Texas 75069972.540.6633www.heritageranchgolf.com

Fairview, TX (RestaurantNews.com) The Fairview community will soon get to experience Texas’ first taste of Swig when the customizable drink shop makes its debut on Friday, May 6!

But first, Swig is seeking 40 individuals to join the rapidly growing drive-thru drink concept in bringing its unique creations to Fairview. In preparation for its grand opening at 371 Southwind Lane, Swig is hosting a two-day hiring event from April 15-16. Interested candidates are encouraged to bring two forms of ID and a resume to the event.

“Swig is a such a fun company to work for and we offer great benefits,” said Swig President Chase Wardrop. “Swig offers flexible schedules, discounts, opportunities for advancement and an exciting team atmosphere that’s all about creating happiness one cup at a time. We can’t wait to hire an incredible team here in Fairview!”

What: Swig is hosting a two-day hiring event in search of 40 team members for multiple positions.

When: April 15-16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Swig located at 371 Southwind Lane in Fairview.

Swig will soon become Fairview’s go-to destination for fun family experiences centered on fountain drinks with a twist. When the new drive-thru soda shop opens, it will serve the brand’s signature Dirty Soda™ – a combination of popular soft drinks and delicious syrup-spiked mix-ins.

Guests will be able to choose from a variety of fountain drinks that are customizable with a choice of flavors, creams, purees and fresh fruits. In addition to sodas, the popular drink concept will offer Refreshers, Revivers – Swig’s proprietary energy drink – boba teas and treats, including cookies and pretzel bites for the perfect pick-me-up throughout the day.

When Fairview’s new Swig opens, it will mark the first in Texas and 39^th systemwide. To learn more about Swig and to view the full menu, visit swigdrinks.com.

About Swig

Swig, home of the Dirty Soda™, was founded in 2010 in St. George, Utah. Owner and Founder Nicole Tanner was brainstorming with her husband one night about possible business ideas and the two came up with the idea for a drive-by drink shop that had customized flavors added to its drinks. From that small beginning, Swig has expanded into multiple states, becoming thousands of people’s go-to destination for personalized sodas, customized energy drinks, boba teas, cookies and other sweets. Swig is part of Savory Fund, a management group that infuses exciting startup brands with capital and pairs them with its team of 65 industry veterans who have experience in everything from real estate, development and construction, store operations, procurement, technology, recruiting, training and finance. For more information, visit swigdrinks.com and follow Swig on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About Savory Fund

Savory, a Mercato Partners Fund, is focused on delivering outsized returns through strategic investments in the food and beverage industry. Savory partners with high-potential, profitable, emerging restaurant brands, to deliver financial capital, industry expertise, revenue opportunities, profitability enhancements and new location development. The Savory team contributes directly to all aspects of growth and replication by using a proven playbook and methodology. Founder involvement in the expansion of a brand is a central theme of the Savory approach as founders carry the tribal knowledge around the uniqueness that has energized early success and is essential to future growth. For more information, visit SavoryFund.com.

Contact:Brooke SundermierChampion972-930-9933bsundermier@championmgt.com

Chef David Hollister Dishes On What's To Come

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Boozie's will roll with the kitschy Nicolas Cage Mural on its back wall. (Photo by Courtney Dabney)

Two new brewpubs are opening in North Texas from Bruce Conti, 0ne of the original founders of Wild Acre Brewing, and his new beer team. Conti plans to take over the Camp Bowie Wild Acre space and turn it into Boozie’s Brewery & Gourmet Sandwiches. He is also opening Boozie’s Brewery & TX Fare in Fairview.

This new Fairview spot is the fruition of the beer paradise that Wild Acre was working on before it was purchased by Bishop Cider (a sale first reported on by PaperCity Fort Worth last May).

Wild Acre chef David Hollister will remain on (now in a partnership role) at the new Boozie’s Brewery, which already plans expansion. Conti and Hollister have also added Chip Stroup to the team. There’s a lot of history between Hollister and Stroup.

“He was my old director of operations from my years at Gas Monkey Bar & Grill,” David Hollister says of Stroup. “Plus, we hired a new brewer. The Wild Acre taps will come off and Boozie Beers will go on.”

The new beers will be conceived by Bobby Mullins of the former Armadillo Ale Works in Denton. Both Boozie’s will bring a creative and casual menu crafted by Hollister and brew in-house with equipment already installed. The Fort Worth and Fairview brew palaces will also both include a full bar with crafty cocktails from a mixologist. Add signature root beer and, if all goes to plan, some craft sodas too.

Bruce Conti owns the building at 6479 Camp Bowie Boulevard that the Fort Worth Boozie’s will call home. This was the space that Wild Acre planned to open in the heart of the COVID shutdowns in March 2020. Conti is moving ahead and sticking with the kitschy mural of Nicolas Cage from Raising Arizona that dominates the space’s back wall. Hollister is also an accomplished amateur photographer — and his photography will be featured on the walls of the new Fort Worth Boozie’s too.

Hollister says the team is in the process of adding a green space/game lawn in front of the current patio. The menu will feature his house-made soups and sandwiches. Expect a birra grilled cheese and other creative spins. One sandwich Hollister rolled out this week is filled with jalapeno poppers. We’ll see if it becomes a fan favorite as well.

The chef photographer also hints that you might see bangers and mash on the menu soon too.

“Fairview will be more Texas cuisine,” Hollister tells PaperCity Fort Worth. “I’m doing a sourdough breaded chicken fried steak, inspired by my time working with Grady Spears. There will be a larded pork chop as well as fresh churros.

“It will be Texas with a hint of Latin flavor.”

There also will be ceviche and tomatillo verde soup on the Boozie’s menu.

The Fairview location is much more expansive, measuring in at around 7000 square feet, and the Boozie’s team plans a play on the word fair/fare full tilt. While the brewpub will be known as Boozie’s Brewery & TX Fare, there will be black and white photos Hollister took of ferris wheels and other fair related images. Plus, instead of prices next to items on the menus, you find the “fare” you’ll pay for each item.

“It’s a warm space with dark woods, walnut tables and rock floors,” Hollister notes. “So the black and white photos will be a nice balance.”

Boozie’s is arriving in a pair, but it could just be getting started.

“These will be the first two locations for Boozie’s,” Hollister says. “We are also considering different ideas like one that is more burgers and brats oriented — and another as more of a live music smokehouse in the future.”

The Fairview Boozie’s is expected to open first, followed by the transition of the Camp Bowie space, which should be complete later this fall.