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Go For the Food: Dallas incubates new dining spots

By WTOP Staff

JAMIE STENGLE
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — In a place that prides itself on doing things big, it stands to reason that Dallas’ newest hot spot for dining isn’t just one restaurant but a new development of nearly a dozen at the foot of a soaring bridge that is the city’s newest landmark.

But the restaurants popping up in the 15-acre Trinity Groves are not your usual offerings — they are what the three investors behind the development call an “incubator.” Prospective restaurateurs pitch their ideas to the investors, who fund the projects in hopes that successful concepts will spawn locations across the country.

“In essence, what we’re doing down here is we’re creating brands,” said Trinity Groves investor Phil Romano, the man behind national restaurant concepts including Romano’s Macaroni Grill and eatZi’s Market and Bakery.

“I’m looking for a point of difference, like what’s going to make me go and eat their food rather than somebody else’s food? Does it taste better? Does it look better? What is it? A different kind of food?” he said.

The concept has brought in a diverse array of restaurants — from barbecue to tapas to Middle Eastern to seafood to Asian-Latin fusion — over the last year and a half, transforming a rundown area filled with repair garages and warehouses to a glittering destination that greets visitors as they head out of downtown over the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge spanning the Trinity River and into West Dallas.

Most of the nine restaurants that have opened so far are located in a former truck terminal that’s been transformed into a lineup of sleekly-designed restaurants facing a sprawling patio for diners at each location.

Folks opening restaurants at Trinity Groves range from people who have already been in the restaurant business to first-timers. And one restaurant — Kitchen LTO — is a permanent popup that spawns a new restaurant every four months, with chefs competing on social media, pitching their concepts and menus and the public eventually deciding who to pick.

Uno Immanivong left a career in banking last year to start Chino Chinatown in Trinity Groves. After years of pursuing her passion of being a foodie in her spare time — including an appearance on ABC’s “The Taste” — she decided to make food her full-time career. Chino combines the type of Asian cooking she learned from her mother with a Latin influence brought by her partner in the enterprise. Their top seller, she says, is a duck fat fried rice featuring shrimp, sausage and barbecue pork.

“To make it a little bit more Latin, I put it in a cast-iron skillet to kind of remind us of the paella concept. So it’s sizzling hot and then I put a fried egg on top and we stir it here at the table and serve it tableside,” she said.

At LUCK (Local Urban Craft Kitchen), first-time restaurateurs offer local craft beers in addition to comfort food.

Just down the way, two men with experience in the restaurant business opened Casa Rubia to put their twist on tapas. Jonn Baudoin recently sold his popular restaurant Driftwood and Omar Flores was the executive chef there. Baudoin said he was eager to be a part of Trinity Groves.

“I saw the vision that they were trying to create: more or less a new city. And to be part of that was a huge opportunity,” he said

Romano said that the development will keep expanding. Nine restaurants have opened at Trinity Groves so far and about seven more should open by the end of the year. Entertainment venues, retail stores and art galleries are also part of the plan.

___

If You Go…

TRINITY GROVES: 425 Bedford St., Dallas, Texas. 214-744-0100. http://www.trinitygroves.com/

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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