Editor’s note: Bob on Business is a new column featuring new business items and interesting tidbits by Fort Worth Report Business Editor Robert Francis.
Burns & McDonnell is relocating to the 777 Main building in downtown Fort Worth and preparing for more growth over the next few years.
The Kansas City, Missouri-based global engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting firm is taking floors 24 to 26 in the 40-story building, about 71,000 square feet. The firm has about 200 employees locally, but expects to double that by 2030, said Scott Clark, vice president and general manager of the Dallas-Fort Worth regional offices.
The 125-year-old firm is vacating the former Pier 1 building that is being converted into Fort Worth’s new City Hall.
The lease with 777 Main runs through 2030 and there is an option to expand if needed, said Clark. Burns & Mcdonnell used JLL as their realtor in the search for new space.
The company plans to move in by the fourth quarter, according to Clark.
“We’re really excited to expand here, to be closer to our clients and be in the heart of downtown,” said Clark. “I think it’s going to be really good for our office.”
Clark said the firm is working on several projects around the Southwest involving energy, environment, water, data centers and transportation.
“We are privileged to be working on some incredibly innovative infrastructure advancements in Texas and across the country,” he said.
Clark said data centers are probably the most active part of the market and that manufacturing projects are also going strong.
“Those parts of the market are where we’re seeing a lot of activity,” he said.
Clark said the rapid growth in Texas is creating a need for more power and water infrastructure projects.
“We’re starting to see a lot of needs for water infrastructure in Texas,” he said. “That looks to be a big area for us, too, in the future.”
The firm’s construction group is staying busy too, Clark said.
“Whatever we design, we like to build,” he said. “So we’ve got a really strong construction group here locally, too.”
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 growth of the firm and the city’s purchase of that building sent the company seeking new space, Clark said.
Clark said the Fort Worth regional office had its best year in 2022 and even grew through the pandemic. The Fort Worth office has about 200 employees and the Dallas office has about 120.
“We’ve grown 62 percent since the pandemic started back in March 2020,” he said.
For Clark, returning to the building will be going full circle. The building was once home to Carter Burgess, the engineering, architecture and land planning 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 top workplace 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 in the list of Top 100 Design-Build Firms by the Engineering News-Record.
Star-shaped pizza coming to Grapevine
Mister 01 pizza is opening 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 did the name come from, you ask? Founder and master pizza chef Renato Viola was raised in Southern Italy where he developed a passion for cooking. By age 11 he was apprenticing with some of Italy’s best chefs. He eventually came to the United States under the O1 Visa category, reserved for those with “extraordinary artistic ability” that have been recognized nationally or internationally. He opened the first location of Mister O1 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 featuring artisanal pizzas. The pizzeria’s dough and sauce contains zero sugar or preservatives.
The first Dallas store opened in fall 2022 in the Turtle Creek Shopping Village off Oaklawn Avenue by local franchise partner, John LaBarge.
LaBarge was former senior vice president of operations and franchise business at Corner Bakery Cafe.
Some of the traditional pizza options include the bella margherita, pepperoni, sausage and meat lovers. The Alessandra Jalapeño – Italian tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, avocado, jalapeño is among the speciality offerings.
The nearly 4,000 square foot space in Grapevine will seat 50 people inside and patio seating for eight.
Fuzzy’s coming to south Arlington
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, the popular Baja-style taco restaurant that was birthed in Fort Worth near TCU, is 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 shop owned and operated by Eddie White of E2 Restaurant Group, LLC.
“We selected 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 with a Baja taco or two,” says owner White, in a news release.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has 139 corporate- and franchise-owned locations in 18 states.
Dog Haus brings more gourmet grub to Texas, DFW
Pasadena, California-born Dog Haus is sniffing out potential growth in Texas.
The gourmet hot dog, sausage and burger concept is joining the influx of West Coast businesses setting up shop in Texas and expects to add several dozen new restaurants in the coming years, pushing its total to over 30 in some of Texas’ largest markets.
Dog Haus is opening a location in the Arlington Highlands development before Memorial Day and another soon after in Frisco. Two new restaurants are also slated to open in San Antonio along with additional spots in the Austin and Houston areas before the end of the fall.
“We’ve done great business and established strong roots in the community ever since we opened our first DFW location in Richardson,” said Eric Hartung, Dog Haus executive vice president of franchise development.
Dog Haus operates 55 brick-and-mortar locations nationwide, with eight currently open in Texas.
Grapevine’s Post Malone behind a unique Raising Cane’s
What does a Raising Cane’s restaurant in Midvale, Utah, have to do with North Texas? A lot when it’s Grapevine-raised musical artist Post Malone. Raising Cane’s has opened the doors in Midvale on a restaurant designed by the “Better Now” singer.
Malone is apparently a longtime fan of chicken-finger restaurants and is friends with Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves, who made an appearance in Post’s 2021 Motley Crew music video.
After moving to Utah, Malone made a personal request to Graves that there be a Cane’s location nearby and asked if he could design it.
“I have the best childhood memories of eating at Raising Cane’s in Dallas. Collaborating with Todd on this restaurant near my house in Utah was awesome and I can’t wait for everyone to order their meal the ‘Posty Way’,” said Malone, in a news release.
How is the restaurant unique? Well, it’s painted bright pink on the outside, for one thing. The updated restaurant features an exterior of the building wrapped in solid pink with Post Malone tattoo imagery along with memorabilia from the singer inside.
Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis as bob.francis@fortworthreport.org
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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