Editor’s note: Bob on Business is a new column featuring new business items and interesting tidbits from Fort Worth Report business editor Robert Francis.
Burns & McDonnell is moving into the main 777 building in downtown Fort Worth and is gearing up for more growth over the next few years.
The Kansas City, Mo.-based global engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting firm occupies floors 24 through 26 of the 40-story, approximately 71,000-square-foot building. The firm has about 200 employees locally, but expects to double that number by 2030, Clark said.
The 125-year-old firm is vacating the former Pier 1 building, which is becoming Fort Worth’s new City Hall.
The lease with the 777 Main runs through 2030 and has an option to extend if needed, Clark said. Burns & Mcdonnell used JLL as their broker in the search for new space.
The company plans to move by the fourth quarter, according to Scott Clark, vice president and general manager of the Dallas-Fort Worth regional offices.
“We’re really excited to expand here, be closer to our customers and be in the heart of downtown,” Clark said. “I think it will be very good for our office.”
Clark said the firm is working on several projects in the Southwest involving energy, environment, water, data centers and transportation.
“We are privileged to work on some incredibly innovative infrastructure improvements in Texas and across the country,” he said.
Clark said that data centers are perhaps the most active part of the market and that manufacturing projects are also developing strongly.
“Those parts of the market are where we see a lot of activity,” he said.
Clark said the rapid growth in Texas is creating a need for more energy and water infrastructure projects.
“We’re starting to see a lot of water infrastructure needs in Texas,” he said. “That looks like it’s going to be a big area for us going forward as well.”
The firm’s construction group is also busy, Clark said.
“Whatever we design, we love to build,” he said. “So we have a really strong construction group here locally as well.”
The firm moved into the former Pier 1 Imports building in 2016 after opening its first regional office in North Texas in 2010.
But the firm’s growth and the city’s purchase of that building left the company looking for a new space, Clark said.
Clark said the Fort Worth regional office had its best year in 2022 and even grew during the pandemic. The Fort Worth office has about 200 employees and the Dallas office has about 120.
“We have grown by 62 percent since the start of the pandemic in March 2020,” he said.
For Clark, returning to the building will be full circle. The building was once home to Carter Burgess, the engineering, architecture and land development firm that was acquired by Jacobs in 2007.
“I was a Carter Burgess guy for 19 years,” he said.
Burns & McDonnell is a 100% employee-owned firm that has been recognized as a Best Place to Work in Texas for several years and was recently cited as one of the Great Places to Work in Texas by the Great Place to Work organization. The firm was ranked No. 6 on Engineering News-Record’s Top 100 Design and Build Firms list.
Star-shaped pizza is coming to Grapevine
Mister 01 Pizza Opens in Grapevine (Courtesy: Mister 01)
Mister O1, the Miami-born artisanal pizza concept that has one Texas location in Dallas, has opened its second Texas location in Grapevine at 129 S. Main Street.
Where does the name come from, you ask? Pizza founder and master chef Renato Viola grew up in southern Italy where he developed a passion for cooking. By the age of 11, he was apprenticed to some of Italy’s top chefs. He eventually came to the United States under the O1 Visa category, reserved for those with “exceptional artistic ability” who are recognized nationally or internationally. It opened the first Mister O1 location in 2014 and has since grown to 13 locations.
The full-service neighborhood restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week and will feature artisan pizzas. The pizzeria’s dough and sauce contain no sugar or preservatives.
The first Dallas store was opened in the fall of 2022 in the Turtle Creek Shopping Village off Oaklawn Avenue by local franchise partner John LaBarge.
LaBarge was the former Senior Vice President of Operations and Franchise Business at Corner Bakery Cafe.
Some of the traditional pizza options include bella margherita, pepperoni, sausage, and meat lovers. Alessandra Jalapeno – Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, avocado, jalapeño is among the special offers.
The nearly 4,000-square-foot space in Grapevine will seat 50 people inside and patio seating for eight.
Fuzzy is coming to South Arlington
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, the popular Baja-style taco restaurant that was born in Fort Worth near TCU, Iis opening its new location in Arlington. The 3,800-square-foot restaurant is located at 5904 Cooper St., Suite 100, Arlington. This will be the ninth store owned and operated by Eddie White of E2 Restaurant Group, LLC.
“We chose this location because of its expansive patio, which offers the perfect setting for our guests to relax outside and enjoy the weather with a Fuzzy’s Margarita in hand or a Baja taco or two,” owner White said in a news release.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has 139 corporate and franchise locations in 18 states.
Dog Haus brings more gourmet food to Texas, DFW
Pasadena, California-born Dog Haus sniffs potential growth in Texas.
The gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept joins an influx of West Coast businesses setting up shop in Texas and expects to add several dozen new restaurants in the coming years, bringing the total to more than 30 in some of the largest markets in Texas.
Dog Haus is opening a location in the Arlington Highlands complex before Memorial Day and another soon after in Frisco. Two new restaurants are also slated to open in San Antonio along with additional locations in the Austin and Houston areas before late fall.
“We’ve done great business and established strong roots in the community since opening our first DFW location in Richardson,” said Eric Hartung, executive vice president of franchise development for Dog Haus.
Dog Haus operates 55 physical locations nationwide, with eight currently open in Texas.
Grapevine’s Post Malone behind unique Raising Cane’s
What does Raising Cane’s restaurant in Midvale, Utah have to do with North Texas? A lot when music artist Post Malone was growing up in Grapevine. Raising Cane’s has opened in Midvale at a restaurant designed by the “Better Now” singer.
Malone is apparently a longtime fan of chicken restaurants and is friends with Raising Cane founder Todd Graves, who appeared in Post’s Motley Crew music video in 2021.
After moving to Utah, Malone made a personal request to Graves to have a Kane location nearby and asked him if he could design it.
“I have the best childhood memories of eating at Raising Cane’s in Dallas. “Collaborating with Todd for this restaurant near my house in Utah has been great and I can’t wait for everyone to order their food the Posti Way,” Malone said in a news release.
What makes the restaurant unique? It is painted bright pink on the outside, on one side. The updated restaurant features a building exterior wrapped in hot pink with images of Post Malone tattoos, along with memorabilia from the singer inside.
Got something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis as [email protected]
Bob Francis is business editor of the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].
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