COMING ATTRACTIONS

4 new restaurants to open in booming North San Antonio shopping center

Similarly to Cava, Hummus Republic serves a variety of build-your-own wraps, bowls, and pitas.

The anticipated Taroko Sports baseball facility is not the only business stepping up to the plate at San Antonio’s Park North. The bustling 842 NW Loop 410 shopping center says four new restaurants will debut in the upcoming months.

In a release, new owners Dhanani Private Equity Group revealed several new tenants are finishing build-outs in the open-air development. The restaurants will add to a mix that includes retail giant Target, entertainment options Alamo Drafthouse and Pinstack, and chains such as La Madeleine, First Watch, and Freddy’s Steakburgers.

The most recently signed lease is for the second San Antonio location for Corpus Christi chain The Surfing Crab, which will take over the former home of Jim’s Restaurants on the corner of Blanco Road and Loop 410. The Cajun-inspired concept is known for its seafood boils and a dizzying roster of fried appetizers and fish platters.

Artea San Antonio Artea is known for its photogenic boba teas. Artea/ Facebook

The restaurant will be joined by a new African-inspired coffee shop, OYIN by Mulberry Prime. Named after the Yoruba word for honey, the cafe specializes in Nigerian flavors such as malt, tigernut, baobab, and kola nut mixed with various teas, cold-brew coffee, and coconut milk. OYIN will also serve a small food menu with items such as Pearl & Grain (a fonio and pearl tapioca pudding with mango and toasted coconut) and chicken gyada (a rich peanut stew).

Two previously announced restaurants are also on deck. Local mini chain Artea specializes in Instagram-friendly boba tea and pan-Asian bites. Mediterranean franchise (and Cava competitor) Hummus Republic will make its San Antonio debut with a menu featuring build-your-own bowls, pitas, and wraps.

Park North’s press release did not reveal any of the opening dates for the newcomers, and timeline requests to the restaurants were not immediately returned. Once open, the eateries will add to the increasing variety at the shopping center, including the newly opened second outpost of local favorite Panfila Cantina and recently renovated Vietnamese staple SP Cafe.

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RISING TO THE OCCASION

New Sweet Tooth Crawl unites 16 San Antonio bakeries

Sprinkles & Spoons/ Facebook

Sprinkles & Spoons is one of the bakeries participating in the inaugural Sweet Tooth Crawl.

San Antonians who have a cheat day coming might want to schedule it for August 8. 16 local shops are carb-loading in preparation for the first Sweet Tooth Crawl, a sugary romp through some of Alamo City’s best bakeries and dessert pop-ups.

Monti Donahue, owner of brunch-focused pop-up Monti’s Munchies, created the event to promote and collaborate with other San Antonio small businesses. The baker had been outspoken about her own struggles with entrepreneurship, saying on Instagram she hasn’t always felt welcomed by other local indie shops.

"I created the Sweet Tooth Crawl because I wanted to celebrate the incredible local bakeries that make San Antonio so special," Donahue elaborated in an email. "I truly believe in community over competition, and this event is all about encouraging people to discover new favorite bakeries while giving small businesses the opportunity to support one another."

The Sweet Tooth Crawl follows a familiar format. Sugar fiends pick up a passport card, then fill it up with cute stickers as they make their way through sample treats. Although the tour is self-guided, the first stop is at The Starlighter (1910 Fredericksburg Rd.) in The Deco District, an all-ages venue that has recently had its own call for community support.

The headquarters doubles as a community market spotlighting cottage bakeries like Bustos Bakes, Chunkies Cookies, Baked & Confused, and Mahou Cake that rely on word-of-mouth and social media over big marketing budgets.

Once crawlers have had their fill of treats at Starlighter, it’s time to head out on a city scavenger hunt. The brick-and-mortar participants, many offering gluten-free and vegan options. The lineup includes:

"My hope is that people spend the day exploring San Antonio, discover businesses they may have never visited before, and that this event sparks lasting friendships and future collaborations between local bakery owners," she said. "At the end of the day, it's about building a stronger small business community together."

Tickets for the event are $13.54, including fees. While only passport holders are eligible for the Sweet Tooth Crawl giveaway, entrance to the market is free.

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