Sundance Square News

Hop on over to this fun new boozy snack bar in Fort Worth's Sundance Square

Frito Pie is on the menu at Hopscotch.

Photo courtesy of TheQueso.com

There's a fun new spot to grab a bite and a drink, now open in Fort Worth's Sundance Square: Called Hopscotch, it's a new concept from Mockingbird Food Co., and it opened on June 9 in the former Jamba Juice location at 101 W. 3rd St.

Jamba Juice closed in November 2022 after 20 years in that space, leaving a vacancy in the Jett Building, known for the big mural of the Chisholm Trail.

Mockingbird Food Co. founders Dena and Trent Shaskan are already well versed in the Sundance Square scene, having opened 3rd St. Market, the bright and airy cafe-market-bakery at 425 W. 3rd St. in October.

"We loved the idea of being right in the middle of Sundance Square - the entire plaza is basically our patio," Dena says. "We saw an opportunity to bring something new to the crowds that hang out on the Square. Moms bring their kids to play in fountain and there's live music every week."

She calls Hopscotch a "bar-slash-snack bar."

The menu has hot dogs, popcorn, chili dogs, and Frito pie, with the chili made in-house from a recipe with Shiner Bock. There are sno-cones. There are cakes by the slice from Loft 22. And there are giant cookies - the only crossover item from 3rd Street Market, in varieties such as snickerdoodle and chocolate chip.

A vast selection of beverages includes lemonades in different flavors such as rosewater lemonade, fresh strawberry lemonade, and vanilla bean lemonade.

They also have beer, wine, and cocktails like a margarita and a peach daiquiri, plus four cocktails on tap, including the trendy, popular frosé, as well as AF drinks such as a non-alcoholic yet decadent pina colada.

"But we can make any of them boozy if you want, the lemonades, the frozen drinks, just by adding a shot," she says. "So you can get a regular one for your kid or a boozy version for yourself."

They're still resolving hours but will likely follow the live music: Wednesday-Sunday 12-10 pm.

downtown openings

Restaurant news roundup

Get charged up on coffee in this Fort Worth restaurant news

Souffle

Souffle Bistro

This edition of dining news in Fort Worth features some big openings, one with a notable chef involved, and a couple of closures, as well. There are two items for coffee fans, plus exciting new menus to check out.

Here's what's happening in Fort Worth restaurant news:

Function Coffee is a family-owned coffee shop and coffee bean roaster that just opened in May in Northlake, at 101 Plaza Pl. #150, in Northlake Commons off FM 407. It's serving specialty coffee, seasonal espresso drinks, and ceremonial matcha, made using beans that are roasted and ground in-house. The shop is from local residents Tony and Devin Daussat, with assists by their two darling children. Tony got into coffee as a college barista, working in shops while pursuing acting in New York before transitioning into branding and hospitality design for brands like Chick-fil-A + KFC. After years of planning through cross-country moves and COVID, he launched Function Coffee Co. in 2024 after discovering the Bellwether Coffee Roaster — a plug-and-play, all-electric roasting system that made in-house roasting financially possible while he still worked a full-time job. It started as a slow-roll plan to sell 100 bags of specialty roasted coffee but quickly grew into 2,000-plus bags in the first year – sold through online orders and local pop-ups. In addition to beans and coffee drinks, they also have a menu of food that includes tacos, croissants, muffins, cakes, and more.

On the Rocks Italian Bistro is a new restaurant headed to Old Town Burleson at 135 W Ellison St. #101, from the owners of La Bistro Italian Grill, a Hurst staple that has been open more than 42 years. The new restaurant will offer a menu of Italian favorites such as house-made pasta and dry-aged steak including an interactive tableside steak-on-the-rocks experience designed to become a signature. La Bistro was originally founded by Sid Benouared, then taken over in 2016 by his son Jason and Jason's wife Renee. To open the Burleson spinoff, they've partnered with acclaimed chef Kent Rathbun (Abacus, Jasper's) who is joining the team, adding his culinary expertise. Their goal is to create a destination for date nights, anniversaries, birthdays, and business dinners.

Souffle Bistro & Bar is a new restaurant coming to Arlington at 6407 S. Cooper St. #101, a space that has been home to a variety of eateries including Southern Eats, Fontana's Italian, Spice India, and Tollie's Barbecue. Souffle is from Obie the Promoter, whose Instagram account describes him as a nightlife promoter, entrepreneur, and restaurateur in the Atlanta nightlife scene who owns The Breakfast Bar ATL, a Southern-cuisine restaurant. Souffle will be open for brunch daily from 11 am-5 pm — isn't that lunch? — plus dinner, with a menu that includes fried green tomatoes, Cajun shrimp & grits, fried catfish & spaghetti, blackened salmon, and hot honey chicken with yams & collards. They're planning a soft opening on June 11.

J&J Oyster Bar, the longtime Fort Worth seafood staple, closed its doors on May 30. The restaurant had a long history, first opening in the 1970s in a tiny building in the Cultural District, before relocating in the 90s to 612 University Dr. They were one of Fort Worth’s first purveyors of shucked oysters, along with gumbo, hush puppies, and more.

Hooters closed its location in North Arlington at 1511 North Collins St. by the stadium in late May; the location had been there for more than 30 years. It seemed like an ill-timed closure given the impending World Cup, but Hooters has been in chapter 11, although there is still a Hooters in Grand Prairie nearby. A staffer offered a memorial to what she called the "Hooters by the Stadium," noting its cultural influence, with longtime employees such as beloved bartender and senior trainer Sheena Adaire, who worked there for two decades. Hooters of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2025 but was reacquired by its original owners who vow to restore the brand.

Atomic Wings is a New York-based chain that does fiery Buffalo-style chicken wings, and it just opened a location in Fort Worth in the Funky Town Food Hall at 1229 8th Ave. #127 — taking a space that has previously been home to a piri piri place and a Nashville hot chicken place, among others. The menu has wings, tenders, sandwiches, waffle fries, regular fries, loaded fries, jalapeno poppers, and fried Oreos. The chain was founded in 1989 and has 30 locations including two in Houston.

Melting Pot, the fondue chain with locations in Addison and Arlington (and a third coming soon to Allen), has debuted a new interactive dining option called Big Night Out designed to turn date nights, celebrations, and group outings into a more social and memorable dining occasion. Big Night Out is a four-course experience spotlighting Melting Pot’s premium entrée selections including filet, lobster, and shrimp. Priced at $62 per person, the four courses include cheese fondue, a salad course, premium entrée fondue, and chocolate fondue finale with sweets and fruit.

Keke's Breakfast Cafe, the breakfast-centric offshoot of Denny's, has new summer menu items including Avocado Toast with sourdough, smashed avocado, tomato, feta, & everything bagel seasoning; expanded coffee offerings including Caramel Coffee and STōK Bold & Smooth Cold Brew, enhanced by additions like cold foam and flavored syrups; and the debut of a Bloody Mary with Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix, bacon, celery, and Tajín-dusted lemon wedge. They've also brought back their $5 Summer Kid’s Meal Deal which includes pancakes, tenders, and more, for $5 with a drink and the purchase of any adult entrée through August 28. Area locations include Lincoln Park Shopping Center Dallas, Epic Towne Crossing Grand Prairie, Plano, McKinney, and three in Fort Worth: Alliance, Saginaw, and Hulen Street.

Taco Bell has introduced its first-ever cold brew lineup, stepping up the daily coffee routine, available exclusively at Live Más Café locations, including Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, and southern California. The lineup is permanent, pairing cold brew with flavor-forward cold foams, including Purple Velvet Cream, a purple-hued horchata-inspired signature, as well as Caramel Dulce Cream and Vanilla Cream — delivering a rich, layered experience with a sweet, velvety finish. The Live Más Café is a store-within-a-store concept that Taco Bell debuted in Dallas in November 2025 at the Taco Bell at 5506 E Mockingbird Ln. They don't make it easy to figure out where the Live Mas Cafes are located but there seem to be 10 across DFW, stretching from Mesquite to Fort Worth.

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