This Week's Hot Headlines

Garth Brooks' drive-in concert tops this week's 5 most-read Fort Worth stories

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines.

1. 2 Fort Worth-area drive-ins among lucky few to host Garth Brooks concert. Country superstar Garth Brooks is going on the road again without ever having to leave home. On Saturday, June 27, he will broadcast a special concert to drive-in movie theaters around the United States and Canada, including Coyote Drive-In in Fort Worth and Brazos Drive-In in Granbury.

2. New restaurant in Keller puts good food on the horizon for Fort Worth. A promising restaurant opened in Keller this week: Called Horizon 76, it's a casual but upscale American grill with steaks, burgers, sandwiches, cocktails, and craft beer. It opened June 18 at 1821 S. Main St., in a space that was once a TGIFridays.

3. Big Boyz BBQ restaurant opens in Fort Worth with unexpected signature. A barbecue restaurant is opening on Fort Worth's east side with all your favorite smoked meats, but also something you don't usually find at a BBQ joint: smoked chicken salad. It's called Big Boyz Pit Smoked BBQ and More, and it will open June 20 in the space at 6513 Brentwood Stair Rd. once occupied by Wilson's BBQ.

4. Cool retro bowling alley concept pins Fort Worth for new location. In boffo news for bowling fans, there's a new venue coming to Fort Worth. Called Bowlounge, it's a concept that debuted in Dallas and will open its second location in Fort Worth's Southside in fall 2020.

5. Crunchy cheesy birria tacos are the hot foodie trend in Dallas-Fort Worth. One day, no one in Dallas-Fort Worth had ever heard of birria tacos. The next day, everyone in town is doing them. Crispy, cheesy, and meaty, this special taco twist has become the flavor of the moment at a host of eateries across DFW.

Bowlounge has a cool retro vibe.

Photo courtesy of Bowlounge

Bowlounge has a cool retro vibe.

Animal News

Seaquest declares bankruptcy following closure of Fort Worth aquarium

Courtesy photo

One of the many unfortunate critters at SeaQuest Fort Worth.

SeaQuest Holdings, LLC, owner of Seaquest aquariums at shopping malls such as Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth, has filed for Chapter 11 banrkuptcy protection, following a series of investigations into animal cruelty.

The bankruptcy follows the October 2024 closure of the Fort Worth location at Ridgmar Mall, which had been the target of numerous reports of animal abuse and an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States.

The Boise, Idaho-based company claimed less than $1 million in assets, but between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities.

According to court records, Vince Covino is still listed as a CEO and consultant and was paid more than $128,000 between December 2023 and November 2024, despite announcing in August that he was stepping down from his role.

PETA Associate Director of Captive Wildlife Rebecca Smudzinski said in a statement that "SeaQuest’s financial failure offers yet more proof that animal exploitation is a losing business model, as compassionate consumers don’t want to fork over their dollars to look at fish, otters, and birds suffering in cramped, filthy enclosures and forced into stressful public encounters."

Smudzinski said that PETA was calling on SeaQuest "to shut down its remaining locations and surrender the surviving animals to reputable, financially responsible facilities that can finally get them the care they desperately need."

PETA’s ongoing campaign against SeaQuest included numerous complaints filed with federal and state authorities regarding injuries to customers and animal welfare issues, including animals who drowned, were burned, were intentionally deprived of food, or were stomped or crushed to death by customers.

According to an ABC News investigation, SeaQuest was cited more than 80 times in the past five years for issues including human injuries, disease hazards, animal neglect, and animal deaths.

In addition to the Fort Worth location, SeaQuest has closed three other locations in the last two years in Littleton, Colorado; Trumbull, Connecticut; and Stonecrest, Georgia. There are five locations still open in Las Vegas, Layton, Utah; Folsom, California; Roseville, Minnesota; and Woodbridge, New Jersey.

animals