Two rapid areas of growth in terms of local business start-ups here in Dallas-Fort Worth are the mobile mechanic concept and fence and deck stain services. Why? Because both require little more than some small start up capital and a basic working knowledge of cars and construction.

Franchises for both business concepts are also popular choices for north Texas entrepreneurs looking for a new venture. Steve of S & L Mobile Mechanics said he spent years as a mechanic before stepping out to start his own on-site car repair service in the mid cities. The concept has grown to the point where Steve now has 3 employees assisting him with his growing clientele.

While many construction companies treat fence staining as sidework or a quick upsell, Dallas Stain Pros is handling things a little differently. The company was recently purchased by DFW Fence Doctor and will serve as the company's division dedicated exclusively to restoration of existing wood. If you are looking for a money-making idea, consider a niche within an existing industry like both of these North Texas companies did.

We will be adding profiles for the following companies that are located in Dallas in the next few weeks. We appreciate the interest from these local businesses and will be more active in the coming months:

• Best Texas Appliance
• Dallas Photo Booth Fun
• Dr. Andy Davong

We have already added Dr. Davong to our Dentist section even though he is a little further out of the area, and will be creating categories for photo booth rentals and appliance repair in the coming weeks. You may contact us for more info on getting listed.

Kenny's Grill is located just off the Tollway and Beltline in the Southwest corner, near the gas station on the corner. There's a Marble Slab in there as well if I'm not mistaken. It's part of the Addison Walk Shopping Center and affiliated with the equally good Italian restaurant of the same name.


Why this place is amazing:

• Great drink specials
• Great crab cake appetizer
• Awesome setting and vibe
• A well-stocked bar
• The pork chops
• The French toast
• Bloody Mary's are great

It's also fancy without being pretentious, which is nice. Kenny's features standard business hours for a bistro. It harkens back to an old-school Chicago style restaurant and the bar is pretty awesome. 

If you live in the 75254 zip code and are looking for a good local bar with some great food, this is the spot. It's particularly convenient for visitors to Dallas who flew into the Addison Airport. Visit Kenny's website for more.

The new Dream Cafe, now located near Sherlock's in Addison, is now open. The menu hasn't changed and is still amazing. Worth checking out if you are looking for some pretty healthy food in the area. Whole Foods can also help with that issue.

We recommend: The Greek Burger, Shrimp Tacos


The new location on Beltline near the Tollway:

On my way to the greatness of Houston's restaurant on Beltline as often as possible over the past year, I couldn't help but notice a giant eyesore of a building going up across the street near Panera Bread.

A brief history lesson: This spot was formerly a Studio Movie Grille until people apparently got tired of eating and watching movies at the same time and the place closed/moved to Royal and 75. But I digress.

This new building looked to be the world's largest optometrist or some oversized Costco of the eyeglasses world. I didn't know what to think. It just said "LOOK" on the front of it and look I did. It then came to light that this was a new movie theater and would also house a Nick and Sam's grill and a Coal Vines. I was intrigued.

Cutting to the chase:

LOOK Cinemas is amazing. If I had to design a movie theater, it would look just like this. Sorry for all the "look" puns. Anyway, it's impeccably clean and modern and the theaters themselves feature couches and all kinds of amazing technology. But don't tell people about it! The first rule of LOOK Cinemas should be that you don't talk about LOOK Cinemas. Why?

Because it seems like a lot of people don't know about it. It hasn't been overrun with mobs of humanity and the bathrooms are still nice and there isn't garbage everywhere. It's a sweet little gem that I hope sticks around for a long time and stays classy. I wouldn't see a movie anywhere else in North Dallas - it's the best in the area and BOND approved.

After a ridiculous winter that saw the north Dallas area blanketed in snow on at least 3 separate occasions over the last few months, the sun has returned to the solar system apparently.

This has to be some kind of record for most snow in a 3 year span. Remember the 2010 NBA All Star Game? SNOW. Remember the Super Bowl? SNOW. (That was the worst). Christmas 2012. SNOW. And on and on. Give me El Nino anyway.

What to do in North Dallas now that the weather is nice: You can sit on any number of restaurant patios and have a drink. Check out the Blue Mesa on Montfort near the new Whole Foods for a good example of a patio. You can take your dog to the dog park. You can compete in an ironic adult kick-ball league with your co-workers. The point being: Get yourself some Vitamin D now that it's available via the sun again. That weather was getting depressing!

More local Dallas news: The Tollway (southbound) has been a cluster for the past week with construction. You've been warned. The greatest highway in the history of north Dallas (and most aptly titled) seems to be getting some sort of a makeover.

North Dallas residents popped down in front of the TV yesterday expecting a football game. And then the game actually started. So there's a safety on the first play from scrimmage for the 3rd straight year apparently. The odds on that must be astronomical and I'm sure someone out there is very happy they decided to take the 12-1 odds on such a play occurring.

This was a horrible Super Bowl, the worst I can remember in the last decade. The last bad game that comes to mind was the Ravens vs. the Giants that ended up being a similarly one-sided affair. However, that Giants team didn't have the greatest offense ever so this was even more stunning.

Yes, it seems Seattle might be well on their way to forming the next great dynasty in the NFL. They have another year at least before guys like Russell Wilson want to talk about their contracts. That NFC West is just nasty right now.

After years of tyranny and construction on LBJ, not to mention horrific traffic not seen since the High Five was being built, it actually looks like the dark days are over. Not completely, but it's a start. You'll still probably be sandwiched in on ridiculous curving roads around the Marsh and Midway area and fear for your life, but progress is being made.

Personally I thought this epic construction process would take much longer than it has. Say what you will but sections of the new highway are starting to actually take shape and it seems that the worst of it, especially at night, are in the rear view mirror. Pun intended. Up next: We take a drive on 635 and offer a full report.

People hate taking baths, apparently. In a recent study, it seems that 4 out of 10 bathroom remodels don't include a bath tub. While the trend is normally reserved for people under 35 (those 35 and up are more likely to keep the tub, and the private toilet), this presents an alarming inditement about home remodeling trends in 2014.

Speaking of the toilet, over 80 percent of remodelers are selecting high-efficiency toilets. And more than a quarter of young homeowners are favoring wall-mounted options. Not just in North Dallas but across Texas.

Double sinks are also on the rise apparently, and shower curtains are becoming obsolete; in fact, seven out of 10 new bathrooms have a glass-enclosed area to them. Skylights are also becoming popular.

Over 7,400 people were interviewed and the criteria was needing a bath remodeled. It seems high-end is preferred and shower curtains are on the way out. We spoke with Pete, a local bathroom remodeling contractor, who said that he has seen an increase in high-end remodels even in smaller and lower-priced homes. The moral? What recession? 

We continue to add lawyer and real estate agent listings like crazy. Once every zip code is accounted for, we plan to expand further into areas like Plano and Frisco. The Far North Dallas Real Estate directory was also recently launched and looks to be a major asset to our hyperlocal listing site.

This new real estate site will target the area just north of 635 and south of George Bush Freeway. The other dividing lines for Far North Dallas seem to be the North Dallas Tollway and Coit Road. If you are a real estate agent who sells homes in this area, this is a great resource that contains loads of info on the area including a brief history of land development in and around Far North Dallas. This is a little hidden gem of DFW and we noticed a hole in the marketplace where buyers and sellers could connect.

2014 will be the year in which we truly expand this hyperlocal site and see just exactly how far we can take it. If you are a local business and want your info on our directory, you may contact us for more info. Cheers and Happy New Year!