Lindsey McMullen wanted more shopping options for clothes for her two children.

That became the spark for Tater Tot Boutique, a children's clothing and consignment store in Keller. McMullen will celebrate the first anniversary of its brick-and-mortar store on Aug. 1.

“I was sick of driving to Dallas or Fort Worth to find clothes,” said the mother of Champ, 8, and Tatum, 4.

The details: McMullen said she looked at several locations before settling on a space that formerly was a martial arts studio inside the Keller Town Center development.

The name of the store came from her daughter’s nickname, McMullen said.

Tater Tot Boutique sells clothes for newborns through children's sizes up to 12, she said.

A closer look: The current collection includes a large selection of Texas colleges such as Texas, SMU, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor and Texas A&M. McMullen recently added Arkansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State apparel to the offerings.

• 121 Rufe Snow Drive, Ste. 119, Keller

HOPS Kitchen + Bar will bring a unique fusion of flavors to Keller residents in 2027.

The overview: Tommy Zheng and Donny Wu are the owners of the new restaurant, which will combine elements of a traditional steakhouse and Chinese food that they grew up with, Wu said.

Menu items will include premium steak cuts, live seafood, Chinese classics, Asian-inspired entrees, family-style dishes, handcrafted cocktails and an extensive wine list.

“We wanted to create a restaurant where guests can enjoy premium steaks alongside authentic Chinese cuisine in a refined, modern setting,” Wu said. “It’s designed to be a place where guests can celebrate, share, and experience flavors that are both familiar and elevated.”

The backstory: Wu and Zheng moved to Texas four years ago without knowing anyone after selling their business in Ohio.

Wu said the Keller community welcomed them and their children, and they opened Hush Sushi + Bar in 2022. Wu said the success of that restaurant gave them the confidence to “dream bigger” and open HOPS.

• 200 Keller Parkway, Keller

Texan restaurant chain Cotton Patch Cafe announced that it has been acquired by Local Favorite Restaurants.

The overview: The chain announced June 29 that Local Favorite Restaurants had acquired Cotton Patch Cafe from Altamont Capital Partners.

Local Favorite Restaurants currently owns and operates other Texas restaurants, such as El Fenix Mexican Restaurant, Snuffer's Restaurant & Bar, Twisted Root Burger Company and Meso Maya.

Looking back: Cotton Patch Cafe originally opened in Nacogdoches, Texas, in 1989. Since then, Cotton Patch Cafe has served up Southern-style cooking at 46 locations across Texas and New Mexico. Despite becoming a chain, Cotton Patch Cafe has kept its original scratch-made recipes as well as its $9.99 Texas Value Meals.

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

This list is not comprehensive.

Upcoming projects

1. Laud Howell Parkway extension

Project: Construction will build two lanes of Laud Howell Parkway between Trinity Falls Parkway and Lake Forest Drive. Private development firm Republic Property Group is constructing Lanes 1 and 2 of the roadway, and the city will construct Lanes 3 and 4.

Update: McKinney City Council approved a design contract with LJA Engineering in June, and design is underway. Construction of Lanes 1 and 2 by Republic Property Group is already underway.

• Timeline: Design is expected to take about 12 months to complete. Construction of Lanes 3 and 4 is expected to begin in 2028.
• Cost: $18 million
• Funding source: city of McKinney, Federal Surface Transportation Block Grant funds