The Spread.

Deep Ellum Brewing Gets In The Spirit Business, And Uptown Opens A Bar-Pawn Shop Combo.

Welcome to The Spread, our weekly feature that aims to share all the area restaurant, food and beverage industry news that's fit to print. Except, this is the Internet, so space isn't a concern. Also: Good thing, because this is Dallas and this town always has breaking restaurant news going down like whoa.

This week, we start off with a bit of coffee news, as Full City Rooster is partnering with Starr Studios for this year's Elemental Arts and Culture Festival in Limerick, Ireland, from September 11 to 13.

Says FCR owner Michael Wyatt: “Full City Rooster sponsors Starr Studios' Coffee With A Sign Painter podcast with Sean Starr. We also created the Sign Painters blend for Starr Studios. Sean was invited to participate in a project with the band The Cranberries at the [event] in Limerick. He will broadcast his podcast, and host the showing of the movie, Sign Painter. Sean, along with the organizer of Love Letters From Limerick, asked if I was interested in participating. Limerick is the arts and culture capital of Ireland, [so] of course I'll go! Full City Rooster will be the guest roaster at the local favorite, Canteen. I'm looking forward to cupping with this team and supporting this event!”

Moving on, the Deep Ellum outpost of Wild About Harry's officially opens this Friday, August 21. Custard will be available in cones, cups, sundaes and take-home pints, along with savory offerings like hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Meanwhile, the frozen custard and chicken purveyors at Super Chix were recently sold off by their parent company YUM! Brandsto a Dallas-based investment firm. A rapid expansion is in the works, with plans for new locations throughout the Metroplex in 2016 and 2017.

In other frozen treat news: A third outpost of Steel City Pops is headed to East Dallas. Construction has begun on the space, located in the Casa Linda Plaza next to Allstate. No word on an opening date as of yet.

Over on Greenville Avenue, meanwhile, The Guava Tree Truck is celebrating its television debut with a Great Food Truck Race watch party on Sunday, August 23, at 8 p.m.

Down the street, bocce ball destination The Vagabond closed its doors. Reasons cited for the closing were parking and issues associated with the age of the building. The bar hopes to reopen in a few months under new ownership, according to CultureMap.

Also in closing news: Farm-to-table advocate Urban Acres is closing its brick-and-mortar location, Farmstead & Cafe. The closing falls in line with a struggling organic sustainability market in Dallas, according to the Dallas Observer, although the business will continue its community shared agriculture (CSA) program, and Melt Ice Creams will maintain its pop-up shop in the space.

Up in Trinity Groves, Hofmann Hots is relocating. The current space is slated for residential development, and the restaurant is enacting a 90-day renovation and relocation plan for a space across the street, per Crave DFW.

On the weirder side of things, Uptown will soon be home to a combination bar and pawn shop — a business that's naturally being called Uptown Pawn. The venture will occupy the former Belly and Trumpet space, and include a functioning pawn shop, a restaurant with a “classic bar food” menu and plenty of booze. You can look for an opening sometime next month.

In craft beer news: Deep Ellum Brewing Co. plans to expand operations and join the spirit-making business. The company looks to make use of the former Spirits liquor warehouse on Canton and Malcolm X, where it will make whiskey, gin and barrel-aged and sour beers. DEBC is currently in the permit phase with the Dallas City Council and the City Plan Commission.

Finally, you might want to keep in mind that the Lone Star Beer Texas Heritage Festival — which features performances from Old 97's and The Black Angels among others — takes place at Gilley's on Saturday, August 22. The 21-and-up event is free and open to the public, with entrance doled out on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Cover photo by Jeremy Hughes. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!