The Spread.

Armadillo Ale Works Is Moving Back to Denton and Pecan Lodge Eyes a May 23 Opening in Deep Ellum.

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.

Since its debut a little over a year ago, the Denton-based Armadillo Ale Works has actually been brewing its beers in Deep Ellum at the Deep Ellum Brewing Co. plant.

That location was always meant to be temporary, though, with the intentions of setting up shop back in Denton one day. And, now that founders Bobby Mullins and Yianni Arestis have completed raising capital for their efforts, the day has finally come: Armadillo has announced that it will move operations back to Denton in spring of 2015.

“It feels great to be moving our operation back to our hometown,” co-founder Bobby Mullins tells The Spread. “It's always been our vision to open a brewery here, and it's nice to know we are going to make that vision a reality.”

The brewers are still searching for a permanent home for the brewery, though. They're also still in the process of purchasing brewing equipment.

In the meantime, recent expansion to DEBC's production operation will allow Armadillo to continue increasing production in anticipation of its homecoming. “

The craft beer industry has always been extremely collaborative and supportive,” says Mullins about working with DEBC. “We've learned a lot, and we feel very fortunate to have had this unique opportunity.”

Expect public tours at the new location, although Armadillo remains mum on what beer releases it has in the works for breaking in its new home.

“We may doing something special, but we'll keep that surprise,” says Mullins.

Oh well. For now, we'll just have to enjoy Armadillo's debut classic, Quakertown Stout, and its latest brew, Brunch Money, which will be tapped at Lakewood Growler this evening in celebration of national Craft Beer Week.

Of course, the chance to celebrate doesn't end there. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the bounty of the burgeoning craft beer scene this week.

For example, Community Beer Company is holding its first midweek tour ever today from 5 to 8 p.m. Haystack Burgers & Barley, meanwhile, is observing the week with $10 Flights. Also? Oak St. Drafthouse in Denton is having a week-long celebration to showcase some of the best brews from around the country.

Hell, even Grapevine is getting on the action with its craft beer-themed Main Street Days, which will have tasting events and demos from brewmasters, in addition to all of the other festival action it's got this weekend.

Oh, and speaking of things worth celebrating: Now that Pecan Lodge has officially shuttered up its shop at the Dallas Farmers Market, we finally have a sense of when its new Deep Ellum home might open. The Observer offers a tentative May 23 start date. The Dallas Business Journal shares “within the next two weeks” as its finding. In any case, our reigning Dallas Restaurant of the Year pick is getting real close to opening its much-larger, freshly green-painted (Editor's Note: More like Pistachio Lodge, am I right?) indoor-outdoor space. We'll play it safe, guess that it opens before the calendar flips to June, then spend our summers getting our Hot Mess fixes in.

While we're on the subject of newcomers in Deep Ellum: It seems that the new Wild About Harry's spot we've been waiting on since last September is finally almost ready for business. Eater reports that the new shop at Commerce and Hall will open “sometime mid-summer.”

In sriracha news: Texas politicians toured the factory on Monday, May 12, then held a closed-door meeting with top Huy Fong officials. The group featured state representative Jason Villalba and senator Carlos Uresti. Why wasn't chief sriracha champion and Denton city councilman Kevin Roden at the meeting? Because this one was about Dallas, interestingly enough. But fret not Dentonites: Roden says he plans to tour the factory soon.

For now, Huy Fong Foods owner David Tran still says he has his reservations about moving the plant and its workers to Texas, but, listen, why's he taking these meetings then? Hope remains is all I'm saying.

Meanwhile, Top Pot Doughnuts will hold a cooking event as one of its first appearances in Dallas since announcing its impending Dallas location, which is also its first outside of Seattle. The hand-forged doughnut class, which goes down at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, celebrates Top Pot's arrival by teaching participants how to make their own versions of the famous doughnuts. Here here for more information.

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