Company Resumes Growth Trajectory Pandemic Halted Project Now Back on Track

MANSFIELD, Texas, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flix Brewhouse, the world's only first-run dine-in cinema brewpub, announced today it has signed a 15-year lease with Shops at Broad in Mansfield, Texas to complete and open a nine-screen luxury theater this fall. The nearly 40,000-square-foot facility was originally scheduled to open in 2020 until construction stopped with the COVID-19 shutdown and remained suspended due to subsequent distress in the movie theater and shopping center industries.

Continue Reading

"We are beyond thrilled to at last bring our unique brand of dining and entertainment to life in Mansfield. A long, strange trip it's been indeed, but the delay has enabled us to invest in the latest cinema technology such as 100% laser projection, offer compelling entertainment choices beyond movies, and evolve our food and beverage offerings to best-in-class," said Allan Reagan, Flix founder.

Shops at Broad spokesperson Sam Kartalis said, "since current ownership took over this regional center south of Fort Worth at U.S. 287 and Broad St. three months ago, leasing activity has been through the roof. Flix Brewhouse is a world-class concept and operator and will be the linchpin for additional planned major entertainment concepts coming soon to Shops at Broad."

"This new location marks a real milestone for our company," said Flix CEO Chance Robertson. "The movies are back in force in 2023 and our team is thrilled to bring our tenth dine-in cinema brewpub nationally and fifth in Texas to the Shops at Broad. Mansfield is a wonderful community and we're excited to be a part of it. It's the perfect complement to our existing metroplex location on the north side of DFW near Frisco and Little Elm. We cannot wait to fire up the projectors, pour the first award-winning craft beer, and allow our guests to relax in luxury while enjoying a great film."

The Mansfield Flix Brewhouse is the chain's new prototype theater, its nine auditoriums equipped with parabolic screens, state-of-the-industry digital audio and video, and Flix's custom recliner seating and proprietary "Easy Glider 2" sliding, pivoting tabletops. Moviegoers will enjoy unobtrusive, in-theater service from a complete cooked-to-order menu as well as a broad selection of soft drinks and full adult beverage service, including signature cocktails and a dozen Flix Brewhouse craft beers brewed on premises. The Mansfield location will have its own brewmaster and guests will enjoy the brewpub experience with or without a movie.

Flix Brewhouse prides itself on crafting memorable moviegoing. In addition to showing the latest Hollywood blockbusters, the cinema brewery celebrates throwback favorites through one-of-a-kind experiences including fan events, family movie parties, and all-inclusive beer dinners showcasing their award-winning brews. FanFests are highly popular interactive events where guests enjoy a special themed menu, in-theater contests and movie-themed merchandise giveaways. Even the youngest of guests are catered to by the Flix Junior series, featuring coloring activities, increased lighting, and reduced volume levels for sensitive ears.

About Flix Brewhouse

Flix Brewhouse was founded in Round Rock, Texas in 2011 and is the planet's only first-run cinema brewery. Flix combines the latest Hollywood productions, award-winning, brewed on-premises craft beer and delicious food – all served "in theater," to guests in their luxury dining recliners. The genesis of the Flix concept stems directly from consumer demand for a better, more value-oriented way to watch a movie. Designed from the inside out to deliver a premium viewing and dining experience at an affordable price, Flix Brewhouse addresses the primary concern of moviegoers everywhere – the rising cost of admissions and concessions and the typically poor value realized at the conventional multiplex. The company has nine successful operating locations in six states, including an existing metroplex location serving Frisco and Little Elm, and is now selectively growing its new theater pipeline. www.FlixBrewhouse.com

For More Information Contact:

Summer Hasan, Head of Marketing & Brandshasan@flixbrewhouse.com Tel: 512-643-4673

About Shops at Broad

Anchored by Academy Sports + Outdoors, At Home, Belk and Flix Brewhouse, and co-located with Fieldhouse USA and the Dr. Pepper StarCenter Ice Arena, Shops at Broad is a multi-phased regional mixed-use development at the northeast corner of U.S. Highway 287 and Broad St. in the City of Mansfield, Tarrant County, Texas.

For Leasing Inquiries:

Andrew Lehner, First Vice PresidentCBRE Advisory and Transaction Serviceshttps://www.cbre.com.mx/en/people-and-offices/andrew-lehner

SOURCE Flix Brewhouse

Houston Elementary School in the Mineral Wells Independent School District started the school year in a position that made school leaders everywhere jealous.

“We started the year without any openings, which in this day and age is a big deal," said Jacy Roach in an interview at the beginning of the school year.

More than 40 school districts around Texas have switched to 4-day weeks; the schools offering this are having a much easier time keeping their teachers in the classroom.

It’s mostly worked in rural areas but has crept into the suburbs. Mesquite ISD announced a plan in February to possibly do the same thing.

The district said their superintendent ultimately decided against the plan, parents had expressed concern about child care. In an episode of "Soup with the Superintendent," last year, Mesquite ISD’s new leader told us how hard it was to compete for teachers.

24:48

Veteran Turned Superintendent Discusses Plan for Mesquite ISD

New Mesquite ISD Superintendent Angel Rivera joins NBC 5’s Wayne Carter for lunch to share his plan for the district.

“Our biggest challenge is teacher compensation. I felt like all the superintendents were playing chess. Who's going to unveil their compensation package first so I can one-up them?" said Angel Rivera, Superintendent of the Mesquite ISD.

There’s always the concern about how parents of young children could work and have their kids home while they’re at work. Mesquite surveyed parents and talked about opening one school for parents who needed sitters, something they’ve done in Mineral Wells.

But Mesquite ISD’s survey showed a majority of parents said they wouldn’t need it.

Still, it’s opened the door to discussions of the steps districts are taking to try to keep teachers, even at the expense of inconveniencing parents.

"When teachers tell you they're burned out they're tired what that is code for is I'm being asked to do everything and then I' 'm being paid whatever I'm being paid," said HD Chambers, of the Texas School Alliance, a group that represents some of the largest school districts in Texas.

Chambers said it's not just money, but all of the pressure we put on teachers, and schools have to try to alleviate it.

Little Elm ISD tried to move to a 4-day week as well and like Mesquite parents weren’t happy with the idea so they moved away from it. They still are struggling to fill open positions and are going back to the drawing board.

Navo Middle School art students hit and smashed piñatas, spilling out their contents and serious, encouraging, lighthearted or uplifting messages.

It was part of the school’s Big Art Day on March 4 at Central Park Union Park, in Little Elm.

Nickolai Lanier, a Navo art teacher, said students got creative as they designed their projects.

“They [students] needed to pick a subject ... and turn it into a piñata,” Lanier said. “And then we wanted to engage the community with some kind of message."

Lanier said the students had been working on the project since February while learning about the history and historical implications of the piñata-making process.

Inside one piñata shaped like a record player were miniature records with QR codes linking to a Spotify playlist. The students who made the piñata wanted to share the music they enjoyed with others.

A piñata shaped like a pair of lungs held anti-smoking messages. Lanier said the students who made the piñata wanted to show the dangers of smoking.

“So we went back and forth and talked, and the group came up with the idea of creating a set of lungs — one that was healthy and [one] diseased,” Lanier said. “And then they made these little pretend cigarettes that have messages about the negative effects of smoking.”

Another group of students created a heart-shaped piñata with the printed words “no means no” to spread the message of consent and peer pressure.

“I told them the strength of this art piece is going to be in whatever the words you choose … and so inside there are small conversation hearts that also say ‘no means no,’” Lanier said.

A piñata that looked like a phone showing app icons was filled with pretend app notes encouraging others to do non-technology-related things such as making art and going out in nature.

Other notable piñatas included a duck with fake Los Angeles Lakers tickets inside, a Rubik’s Cube piñata with more Rubik’s Cubes inside and a prescription bottle piñata that had “good vibes” messages inside.

“This represents a whole month’s worth of hard labor and learning for these kiddos,” Lanier said. “So I’m super, super proud of them.”

The Texas Art Education Association’s Big Art Day events are designed to raise awareness of art education and art around the state.

Little Elm ISD held their regular board meeting on Monday, Nov. 28 to discuss the benefits and hesitations of a four-day school week.

Dr. Penny Tramel, Little Elm ISD Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Learning, presented research conducted by the district to discover how a four-day week could help students and staff within Little Elm ISD.

“Some months ago, the board asked us to look into that [a four-day week], and so I just want to share a little bit about that research that we conducted,” Tramel said. “As we looked at the reasons districts participate in a four-day week and then some of our needs in the district, we found some correlations that would indicate that it could possibly be beneficial for our students and teachers to participate in something such as this.”

Some needs the district has been focusing on include closing the achievement gap, recruitment and potentially retention, time to plan, social and emotional well being, and substitute shortages.

When it comes to closing the achievement gap, Little Elm ISD found that according to the STAAR data, they have a need to close the achievement gap, and based on the Texas Teacher Poll, they found that teachers across the state report unrealistic expectations in closing the achievement gap.

For recruitment and retention, Little Elm ISD data found that turnover was 28.2% for the 2021-2022 school year to present and this year so far, it’s 3.7%. According to the Texas Teacher Poll, in 2020, 58% of teachers were considering leaving the field and in 2022, 77% reported considering leaving.

For time to plan, the district found that teachers do have mandated planning times, however, with different schedules, the district hopes to add additional time to meet the needs of students, Tramel said. For the Texas Teacher Poll, 85% of the teachers report more time to plan quality lessons would aid in teacher retention.

When it comes to social and emotional well being, distinct data showed that teachers have abandoned their contracts this year for this reason. The Texas Teacher Poll found that 85% of teachers report time off is needed for student and teacher well being and a four-day week would aid in retention.

As Little Elm ISD is addressing substitute shortages, the district data found that they have an 83.6% fill rate for substitutes and that the district's partnership with ESS helps them with the high fill rate. In the Texas Teacher Poll, 97% reported a positive work culture and environment would affect their choice to stay in the profession.

Little Elm objectives include ensuring student achievement is at the highest level and retaining and recruiting the most talented teachers. A four-day week would ensure the retention of high-quality educators, Tramel said.

Based on a four-day week, more instructional time would be allotted than previous years, there would be four focused acceleration days outside the school calendar, and it would allow for more quality time with classroom teachers. For attendance, some districts are reporting a 3% increase in attendance and districts are reporting a reduction in student discipline.

Potential additional benefits of a four-day week include bus fuel decrease by 17 to 20%, a 17 to 20% savings on water, gas and electric, fewer substitute teachers needed, more applicants for the district’s low applicant pool, an increase in student and staff attendance, and an increase in projected enrollment.

“When you look at academics and the potential for our students, and the benefits for recruiting and retention for our district of the best of the best, we would be the only district in this area doing this,” Tramel said.

The board is not in a position to make a recommendation yet, but the purpose of the report was to provide information about the four-day week.

Little Elm senior forward Kaylee Worth is captaining the Lady Lobos’ late-season push to what they hope will be their first playoff berth since 2020.

And while Worth has been a driving force all season as one of two captains for the Lady Lobos, she is just thankful to be playing soccer. She suffered her first of two ACL tears during a club team practice in the weeks leading up to a showcase tournament in Las Vegas. Her second injury came during a game against Denton Braswell her freshman season.

It was a long road back to just being able to get back to playing the game that she loves. She said there have been times when the injury is fresh on her mind, adding that it is “definitely a mental challenge in some games,” but she has worked hard to try to overcome that mental hurdle. Worth knew at the start of this season that her knee was back to feeling “120 percent.”

Worth not only came back this season with a clean bill of health, but with an added role for Little Elm: co-team captain, a role that she shares with senior midfielder Addisyn Brown. It has been a successful comeback for Worth, who has five goals and four assists. She started the season in the midfield but was moved to forward halfway through the season.

On Tuesday evening, Worth was on the field against Braswell, the same team that she suffered a torn ACL three years ago. Worth helped to lead Little Elm to a 2-0 win from Carrico Stadium. In that game, junior forward Danielle Quintanilla accounted for both Lady Lobo goals.

Little Elm has one game remaining in the regular season, Tuesday at home against District 5-6A champion Allen. The Lady Lobos are tied with Denton Guyer for fourth place. Little Elm will need to defeat Allen and for Guyer to lose to Prosper Rock Hill to make the playoffs, as the Wildcats own the tiebreaker over the Lady Lobos (goal differential).

In this week’s Star Local Media student-athlete profile, Worth chats about Little Elm’s push for a playoff berth, how much pride she takes in her current role as a team captain and her first memories of playing soccer.

SLM: Good to see you having success on the field after the two ACL tears. Your team is in a two-team battle with Denton Guyer for the final playoff spot from District 5-6A. What will it take for the Lady Lobos to make the postseason?

KW: It really comes down to showing our team. We have overcome a lot of adversity to get here. We've worked hard. We've worked collectively. Each goal means everything, but it also means that we've got to lock in for the next play and play until the end whistle.

SLM: Little Elm’s biggest win of the season was a 2-1 victory against Guyer on Feb. 21. What was so good about that game for the Lady Lobos?

KW: It was the biggest game of the season. The energy was insane. It was crazy from everyone on the field to everyone on the bench to everyone in the stands. It was electrifying and it felt so good to be on the pitch that day.

SLM: You are one of two team captains for Little Elm, along with senior Addisyn Brown. What does that role mean to you?

KW: I've learned a lot from my peers and the captains that came before me. Also, my coaches. They've really encouraged me to be the best captain that I can. Embodying this role is very important to me because I feel like if I can bring something every game, then everybody can bring something.

SLM: You mentioned all of the showcase tournaments that you’ve competed in. How much have those events prepared you for high school soccer?

KW: The showcases for my club team are really intense because there are a lot of college coaches out there. We've played everything from regionals to nationals, including the Scott Diamond Showcase, where a lot of people are out there and playing hard. That atmosphere is different than high school but there are still a lot of challenges.

SLM: What are your first memories of playing soccer?

KW: I have always had a ball, whether it is in my hands when I was a baby. I started when I was 5. My uncle and my mom are really big influences. My uncle plays in the NASL — Cody Ellis. Right now, he is coming off an ankle injury, but he is formerly of the Dallas Sidekicks. It's really exciting but also really nerve-racking because he has high expectations for me. I feel like I have a lot to look up to.

The Lakeside Journal - Little Elm Local Headlines

Have the latest local news delivered to your inbox so you are always up to date.

The Lakeside Journal e-Edition

Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email.

Little Elm ISD was previously considering a four-day week, following a trend that other Texas school districts have implemented in 2023, but after the LEISD board meeting on Monday, the four-day week may no longer be under consideration.

The Little Elm ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, Jan. 23 to discuss potential calendar options for the upcoming academic year.

The district put out a survey in mid-December 2022 to receive input from parents and staff for the consideration of a four-day week. Total respondents to the survey included 1,379 parents, 564 employees, and 144 respondents who were employees and parents.

In the survey, Calendar A gave the option of a four-day week and Calendar B was the typical five-day week. According to the data, 1,338 respondents had a preference for Calendar A and 749 respondents had a preference for Calendar B.

Parents who voted were 50.8% for Calendar A and 49.2% for Calendar B and employees who voted were 89.5% for Calendar A and 10.5% for Calendar B.

“I’m going to speak on behalf of the board, but I think what we would like at this point in time is after reviewing all of the results of the surveys, considering also the circumstances that we are in the middle of a superintendent search, getting that person's opinion is very, very much valued in what step the district is going to take going forward,” LEISD Board President James Olson said. “Not only that, but just the board in general believes some more research needs to be done.”

At the request of the board, staff is going to come back during the Monday, Feb. 6 board workshop with two five-day calendar options with built-in in-service days where teachers are not actually required to be in school, but with optional days where they have time to do lesson planning outside of the school hours.

The board will take those two options to the Monday, Feb. 20 meeting for a vote.

After the decision was made by the board to only consider five-day week calendars, a citizen input was held and several Little Elm ISD staff and parents spoke regarding the four-day week.

One of the first speakers during citizen input was Robin Bowman, an LEISD teacher.

“When the idea [of a four-day week] popped up in an email, there were tons of teachers who shouted ‘Can you believe it?’ and this gave me hope,” Bowman said. “In my only five years of teaching, I’m done. I’m exhausted, but I love my kids and I love my job, so it’s hard to weigh the balance.”

Other speakers during citizen input cited statistics about teacher retention and the cost of living in Little Elm, which most teachers are unable to keep up with and have to work two jobs, one presenter said.

Addison Maxwell, a teacher at Chavez Elementary School, was also in support of the four-day week because he said it would help with teacher retention.

“Our applicant pools are empty, which is especially troubling now that it has become common for educators to quit mid-year due to mounting stress and lack of work-life balance,” Maxwell said. “I would know. I was one of the educators who almost quit mid-year.”

More than 25 people spoke during citizen input with various opinions about the four-day week and putting forth their own ideas to help with teacher retention in the district.

The Little Elm Board of Trustees will meet for a workshop meeting on Monday, Feb. 6 to consider five-day week calendars for the upcoming academic year and it will be voted on and finalized on Monday, Feb. 20.

Little Elm senior forward Kaylee Worth is captaining the Lady Lobos’ late-season push to what they hope will be their first playoff berth since 2020.

And while Worth has been a driving force all season as one of two captains for the Lady Lobos, she is just thankful to be playing soccer. She suffered her first of two ACL tears during a club team practice in the weeks leading up to a showcase tournament in Las Vegas. Her second injury came during a game against Denton Braswell her freshman season.

It was a long road back to just being able to get back to playing the game that she loves. She said there have been times when the injury is fresh on her mind, adding that it is “definitely a mental challenge in some games,” but she has worked hard to try to overcome that mental hurdle. Worth knew at the start of this season that her knee was back to feeling “120 percent.”

Worth not only came back this season with a clean bill of health, but with an added role for Little Elm: co-team captain, a role that she shares with senior midfielder Addisyn Brown. It has been a successful comeback for Worth, who has five goals and four assists. She started the season in the midfield but was moved to forward halfway through the season.

On Tuesday evening, Worth was on the field against Braswell, the same team that she suffered a torn ACL three years ago. Worth helped to lead Little Elm to a 2-0 win from Carrico Stadium. In that game, junior forward Danielle Quintanilla accounted for both Lady Lobo goals.

Little Elm has one game remaining in the regular season, Tuesday at home against District 5-6A champion Allen. The Lady Lobos are tied with Denton Guyer for fourth place. Little Elm will need to defeat Allen and for Guyer to lose to Prosper Rock Hill to make the playoffs, as the Wildcats own the tiebreaker over the Lady Lobos (goal differential).

In this week’s Star Local Media student-athlete profile, Worth chats about Little Elm’s push for a playoff berth, how much pride she takes in her current role as a team captain and her first memories of playing soccer.

SLM: Good to see you having success on the field after the two ACL tears. Your team is in a two-team battle with Denton Guyer for the final playoff spot from District 5-6A. What will it take for the Lady Lobos to make the postseason?

KW: It really comes down to showing our team. We have overcome a lot of adversity to get here. We've worked hard. We've worked collectively. Each goal means everything, but it also means that we've got to lock in for the next play and play until the end whistle.

SLM: Little Elm’s biggest win of the season was a 2-1 victory against Guyer on Feb. 21. What was so good about that game for the Lady Lobos?

KW: It was the biggest game of the season. The energy was insane. It was crazy from everyone on the field to everyone on the bench to everyone in the stands. It was electrifying and it felt so good to be on the pitch that day.

SLM: You are one of two team captains for Little Elm, along with senior Addisyn Brown. What does that role mean to you?

KW: I've learned a lot from my peers and the captains that came before me. Also, my coaches. They've really encouraged me to be the best captain that I can. Embodying this role is very important to me because I feel like if I can bring something every game, then everybody can bring something.

SLM: You mentioned all of the showcase tournaments that you’ve competed in. How much have those events prepared you for high school soccer?

KW: The showcases for my club team are really intense because there are a lot of college coaches out there. We've played everything from regionals to nationals, including the Scott Diamond Showcase, where a lot of people are out there and playing hard. That atmosphere is different than high school but there are still a lot of challenges.

SLM: What are your first memories of playing soccer?

KW: I have always had a ball, whether it is in my hands when I was a baby. I started when I was 5. My uncle and my mom are really big influences. My uncle plays in the NASL — Cody Ellis. Right now, he is coming off an ankle injury, but he is formerly of the Dallas Sidekicks. It's really exciting but also really nerve-racking because he has high expectations for me. I feel like I have a lot to look up to.

The Lakeside Journal - Little Elm Local Headlines

Have the latest local news delivered to your inbox so you are always up to date.

The Lakeside Journal e-Edition

Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email.