A familiar name in doughnuts is returning to Oak Cliff after a four-decade absence.
A new Southern Maid is set to open next week at the corner of Davis and Polk streets, Rob Shearer reported on the Go Oak Cliff blog this afternoon. Les Franklin, Southern Maid's vice-president of development -- and the founder's grandson -- confirmed Jorge Bernal is readying the third Southern Maid in Dallas proper.
"It's a neat location, that's for sure," Franklin says. "A lot of people will remember the name."
Southern Maid once had more than 30 outlets in Dallas, but Franklin says the bakery struggled to compete with corporate chains.
"What changed was the market changed," he says. "Now there's La Madeline and Corner Bakery. Back in the old days, we had this place locked up."
Southern Maid has continued to expand elsewhere, opening stores in New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. There are 25 stores in the greater Houston area, Franklin says.
"We'd love to get stronger in Dallas," he adds.
In addition to doughnuts, the Oak Cliff store will sell kolaches and a few Mexican-inspired baked goods created by Bernal, who owns the Southern Maid store at Continental Avenue and Riverfront Boulevard.
Franklin says Southern Maid franchisees have nearly complete freedom to tweak the menu.
"We just don't like to be combined with liquor sales," he says.
