ROCKWALL, Texas — Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Dallas Business Journal here.
Nearly 18 years after its first store opened near the Southern Methodist University campus, dessert shop Pokey O’s will soon open a second brick-and-mortar location — and it'll be in Rockwall.
Pokey O’s Rockwall is expected to open March 22 at 2455 Ridge Road, suite 110. The brand is known for cookies and ice cream, and especially for ice cream sandwiches combining the two.
The brand can be found in food trucks scattered across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. But Cole Feigl and Trevor Anderson struck a franchising deal to create the second physical retail location, and they believe there is a lot of opportunity to be found east of Dallas.
"A big part of our vision is actually serving the East Texas community because they are underserved," said Feigl, who is also chief marketing officer of Pokey O’s. "There are some of the best people in Texas out there."
Anderson said the goal is to "be the hub for the daddy-daughter date" and for family outings as it emphasizes a particular Southern ethos.
Anderson and Feigl self-funded the new location, with an estimated cost between $175,000 and $200,000. The duo also partnered with Feigl’s sister, Kennedi Feigl, and cousin Wesley Hibbs.
In addition to the flagship location on Mockingbird Lane near SMU, Pokey O’s has a stall inside Heimbaker's Market and Deli in Roanoke, north of Fort Worth. And the food trucks reach other places like Tyler, Waco and Waxahachie.
But company leaders want to focus more on brick-and-mortar expansion.
"We are not bringing that to a halt," Anderson said about the food trucks. "But we are certainly slowing that down to start focusing on more brick-and-mortar expansion to give and facilitate the community look and feel as to what we want."
Anderson and Feigl are looking for more real estate for Pokey O’s on the east side of DFW, including in places like Heath.
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