The Spread.

Stupid Good Is Accepting Starbucks Gift Cards and Bonchon Fixes Its Problems.

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.

You can always count on the new year for a perspective change.

That's just how it goes: Each new year brings with it solemn swears of becoming a new person, promises of finally losing those extra pounds and, well, all of that. Talks of change run rampant — at least for the first few weeks of January.

But, in the Dallas food scene, things are constantly ever changing, calendar be damned.

For example? Well, take Sfuzzi, which will be leaving its current location on McKinney Avenue after a final farewell bash thrown on New Year's Eve. In a farewell letter written by Brandon Hays, the manager thanks patrons for three and a half years of love and support shown to the location. So far, there is no word of a new location, but fans of the restaurant are urged to stay on the lookout for announcements concerning a new location coming in 2014.

Not all changes in the Dallas food world are bad, though. Take Stupid Good Coffee's recent move, in which the Downtown coffee spot intends to capitalize on the holidays and the abundance of Starbucks gift cards given out by allowing folks gifted the omnipresent present to use them even at their spot. It's a cool move, we say: The stunt allows Stupid Good to put its name out into the coffee world while providing folks a local, fresher option. Here's just hoping it doesn't earn them a cease-and-desist letter, as Starbacks is traditionally so wont to serve.

Meanwhile, whereas some changes are meant to draw in new blood, others intend to drain the old. That's what's going on at Pakpao Thai, at least, which is parting ways with chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin. The move happened just days after the Thai hotspot was named one of the best new restaurants in Dallas by the Dallas Morning News. Cryptic press language doesn't provide a clear reasoning for the chef�s dismissal, but suggests that it's just best for the long-term growth and branding of the restaurant. The powers that be plan to expand the brand into a national Thai food destination, with details on the venture expected to be released within the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the folks of Bonchon have managed to recover from a a rough first week, now having reopened their doors after a temporary shutdown aimed at relieving the staff and affording management the time to hire some new help. In addition to a newly recharged staff, Bonchon also added a new beer onto its tap system with Martin House's Sugar & Spice. The Fort Worth-brewed seasonal beer is a barleywine winter warmer with 12 percent ABV and flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and piloncillo (a Mexican unrefined brown sugar).

Finally, some more opening news to close out this week's column: Gemma, a late-night restaurant, opened along Henderson and Bird Cafe opened in downtown Fort Worth.

Cover photo via Stupid Good Coffee's Facebook page. Got a tip for The Spread? Email us!