Downtown Arlington urban district puts buzzy sandwich cafe on the menu

(Teresa Gubbins for CultureMap Dallas, May 13, 2019)  A popular cake baker is expanding in Downtown Arlington with a new cafe called The Hive, due to open in fall 2019.

The cafe concept is from Heidi Allison, founder of Sugar Bee Sweets, a wildly popular bake shop that's been doing custom-designed cakes, special-occasion desserts, and ready-to-eat sweets for 10 years. Two years ago, they moved to their current location at 201 N. East St. — part of the Urban Union, the adaptive redevelopment in Downtown Arlington.

The Hive represents an expansion of Allison's bakery, with the addition of sandwiches, soups, and salads. This not only gives diners a new option for lunch, it expands the profile and range of offerings at the Urban Union.

"Urban Union has been a great home for Sugar Bee for the past two-and-a-half years," Allison says in a statement. "So it only seems natural to use our extra space to add a fun and eclectic lunch spot to the Urban Union menu."

Urban Union is situated along Front Street, just south of Arlington's Entertainment District, where it has repurposed a series of vintage industrial buildings into bars and restaurants that include Legal Draft Beer Company, Cartel Taco Bar, 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge, and The Tipsy Oak Ice House.

The Hive will be located across the street from the recently announced location of Cane Rosso, the buzzy Neapolitan-style pizzeria. It will occupy a 1,000-square-foot space adjacent to Sugar Bee that will feature eclectic vibes and highlight the natural elements of the building.

The menu will include a full sandwich line, with unique combinations and crowd favorites, plus daily soup and salad options.

All breads will be made in the Sugar Bee Sweets bakery, with diet-friendly and health-conscious options.

And after lunch, it's just a few steps to pick up sweet treats next door.

Click here to read the original story by Teresa Gubbins in the May 13, 2019 of CultureMap Dallas. Photo courtesy of Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery.