Tim Love is making progress on his long-awaited, long-delayed Woodshed restaurant, which he hopes will add a splash of Austin along the Trinity River, just off Fort Worth's bike/jogging path near the zoo.
It will feature barbecued meats from around the world and 25 craft and imported beers as well as two wines on tap. And then there are the espresso drinks made with Stumptown coffee from Portland, Ore., pastries in the morning, with plans for yoga, Pilates, musical events and occasional farmers market offerings -- even free Gatorade for joggers.City code issues prevented a planned summer opening, and then the building's garage-style glass doors didn't fit.Love expects to get his certificate of occupancy Friday, but he declined to give a firm opening date.As if on cue, two microfleeced joggers passing the location called out: "When's opening day?""Real soon, real soon," the celebrity chef replied. "You'll smell the smoke."If everything goes well, and so far things haven't, the doors could open in 10 days or so.Love was stung by hateful, anonymous online comments about an earlier Star-Telegram story that reported the Trinity River Vision Authority's J.D. Granger solicited no open bids on the lease -- which aren't required under Texas water district regulations -- for the restaurant's shell building. The district spent nearly $1 million in public funds on the building. The lease requires no minimum rent, but rather a percentage of sales.Love said he is committed to making the restaurant a success by having plenty of skin in the game, noting his investment of $400,000 in permanent improvements and another $100,000 in equipment. Should the project fail, the district would keep the improvements while the chef would still own the equipment.More attention should be paid, Love asserts, to what he's trying to achieve -- a landmark site that may well be the greenest restaurant in town.There's no air conditioning -- a condition set by the district -- and no glassware that could end up on the popular Trinity Trail to puncture bicycle tires. There are no plastic straws, no bottled water."All the cups are biodegradable," he said.And whether patrons notice or not, Love pronounced the site as having perfect feng shui, the Chinese art of crafting harmonious surroundings."A palm reader in New York said the best location is between two bridges," he explained, pointing out the two that cross the Trinity in either direction from the Woodshed.The Fed's outlookTexas' service sector activity increased in December, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas said in its monthly Texas Service Sector Outlook Survey.The survey reviews what's going on in the industry segment that represents 59 percent of Texas' economy and employs nearly 7 million workers.The survey's revenue index fell to 9 from 14, "indicative of slower revenue growth." Positive readings in the survey generally indicate expansion, while readings below zero generally indicate contraction.Some other components, and the Fed's assessment:Labor market indicators reflected "longer hiring and slightly longer workweeks," and the employment index moved to 8.8 from 5.5, "its best reading in nine months."Future service sector activity indicators were "generally improved ... and expectations regarding future business conditions were more optimistic."Retail sales were up in December, according to business executives surveyed. The sales index edged down to 11 from 12.8, but still marked its fifth straight month of increases. Inventories rose.Future retail sector activity indexes rose "further into positive territory in December, while the index of future company outlook improved sharply."Help wantedCalling all storage hounds.The Container Store has launched hiring for its south Arlington store, set to open March 3 in the Arlington Highlands development off Interstate 20. The company has openings posted on its website, www.containerstore.com, for store managers, part-time and full-time salespeople and merchandisers at the Arlington store. It also has listings for salespeople and merchandisers at its Southlake store, and is taking applications at the South Hulen Street store in Fort Worth.The company confirmed last month that it snapped up the lease on the former Borders Books location in the Central Market-anchored Chapel Hill Shopping Center in Fort Worth, but that store isn't set to open until 2013.Bilingual businessThe Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday begins its 10-week Bilingual Business Development Series on how to start a business.The free sessions cover such topics as networking, writing a business plan, financing, human resources, marketing, sales and accounting. They will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the chamber's office, 1327 N. Main St.For information, contact Frank Valtierra, the chamber's business development manager, at 817-625-5411 or go online to www.fwhcc.org.Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727sabaker@star-telegram.comScott Nishimura, 817-390-7808snishimura@star-telegram.comBarry Shlachter, 817-390-7718barry@star-telegram.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
