The pontoon boat has been universally cherished for more than a decade by people from a variety of backgrounds, ages and ethnicities. Now they are taking on a new generation of boaters.

“Recreational boating is more popular than ever,” said Bron Beal, executive director of the DFW Boat Expo, coming to Dallas’ Market Hall in July. “Included in that, we have seen a huge increase in sales of pontoon boats in recent years. They are such a big bang for the buck.”

Pontoon boats have led the recovery of the recreational boating industry since the economic downturn in 2008. At one point, they accounted for one in every three new boats sold. Pontoons have come a long way since their first appearance in 1952 and even since their increasing popularity 10 years ago. The upswing of pontoon sales is predicted to last for a while, as there are a number of lifelong boaters looking for a pontoon product. But there is also growth in the type of buyer – people in their 20s and 30s with families are interested in pontoons. The wide range of prospective buyers suggests that pontoons are not only here, they’re here to stay.

Pontoons used to be viewed as somewhat conventional vessels with nice-looking amenities. Their popularity has been propelled since outboard engines have become quieter, increased in power and the boats have become faster. The versatility and affordability of these boats also helps the upward trend.

There are three types of pontoon boat buyers: those who already owned a pontoon, those who defected from another type of boat and people who are new to boating. All three types have seen growth, increasing the number of pontoon sales. Each type of buyer contributes to pontoon sales growth equally, demonstrating that pontoon boats have become more popular among a variety of consumers.

Today’s pontoons come with coordinated graphics, a choice of rail skin colors, high-quality vinyl seats and tough marine-grade carpet. Every inch of these boats are made for maximum seating and storage, leading some folks to see them as a bit utilitarian. Even with a full load of people, pontoon boats are designed to plane easily with less horsepower. Stable platforms are easy to master when it comes to launching, retrieving and cruising on the water.

When:

          Thursday, July 20, 3-8 p.m. (Free admission)

          Friday, July 21, 3-8 p.m. (Free admission)

          Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

          Sunday, July 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where: Dallas Market Hall

2200 Stemmons Freeway

Dallas, TX 75207

Cost & Ticket Information:

          $12 Adults

          $6 Children (ages 5-13)

          Free (Children under 5)

Tickets for the show are only available at the door

Parking is free of charge

Boating Brands Represented:

Bennington, Regal, Yamaha, South Bay, Four Winns, Triton, Glastron, Blue Wave, Berkshire Pontoons, Xpress Boats, Sea Hunt, Xcursion, Cobalt Boats, Starcraft, Supra, Moomba, Chaparral, Cruisers Yachts, G3 Boats, Southwind, Nautic Star, Rinker, Hurricane, Sweetwater/Godfrey, Aqua Patio, San Pan, Polar Craft, Malibu, Axis, Correct Craft/Nautique, Legend Boats, Sportsman, Sun Chaser, Avalon, Caravelle, Epic, Clearwater, Veranda, Skeeter, Supreme, Sylvan, Monterey, Crest, Sea Fox, Sea Ray, Boston Whaler, Harris Flote Bote, Bayliner, Meridian, Grady White and more

For companies unable to host animals at their place of business, they can visit the Operation Kindness campus for a volunteer day that includes walking dogs, playing with kittens and projects around the facility.  

Operation Kindness does not receive government funding and relies solely on funds from donations and corporate sponsorships to care for homeless animals. Since 1976, Operation Kindness has saved more than 90,000 dogs and cats. Each life saved by Operation Kindness costs an average of $398 to provide comprehensive care before adoption; in some cases, the costs are higher for animals that have been injured and require lifesaving surgeries.

Last year alone, Operation Kindness was able to save the lives and find forever homes for 4,566 animals. The on-site medical hospital provided care to 4,887 animals; performed 2,875 spay/neuter surgeries, 20,656 exams and 250 medical surgeries; gave more than $100,000 worth of medicine; and provided more than 292,000 meals. To help Operation Kindness save more lives in 2017, employees can join together to raise funds needed to provide lifesaving medical services by creating a Companies Who Care fundraising campaign with TXT-2-Give by texting “give” to 972-441-7708.

Companies across the Metroplex are welcome to learn more about how they can become involved in Operation Kindness’ Companies Who Care program by visiting www.OperationKindness.org.

Starting today, Taco Bueno is cooking up some heat with the addition of its newest, limited-time offering: Summertime for Tacos, five new specialty tacos. Available for a limited time only and starting at just $1.99, these tacos are filled with adventurous flavors that are as exciting as summer.

“We have been in the habit of serving tried and true Tex-Mex for a half century. This summer, to the delight of Buenoheads nationwide, we are mixing it up.  With the introduction of our five new, flavor-filled tacos, we are taking the ‘spice of life’ to new levels.”  said Taco Bueno Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Beddoe.  “As with everything we do at Taco Bueno year-round, Summertime for Tacos will offer the highest quality Tex-Mex by using the freshest and best-tasting ingredients. We are the only Tex-Mex brand that can say its menu items are made by scratch each day at all of our locations. From our fresh salsa bar to 30-hour beans, we craft authentic and original Tex-Mex recipes in each of our kitchens every day.”

Summertime for Tacos includes:

1. Ultimate Crispy Beef Taco – EXTRA BEEF, EXTRA CHEESE, LETTUCE, PICO AND ULTIMATE QUESO in a crispy shell. Just $1.99.
2. Crispy Chicken Club Soft Taco – CRISPY CHICKEN, BACON, LETTUCE, PICO AND QUESO. Just $2.49.
3. Ultimate Chimichurri Crispy Beef Taco – EXTRA BEEF, EXTRA CHEESE, LETTUCE, PICO, ULTIMATE QUESO AND CHIMICHURRI SAUCE. Just $1.99.
4. Steakhouse Soft Taco - FAJITA STEAK, TATER TOTS, CHEESE, PICO AND A.1.® SPICY CHIPOTLE SAUCE. Just $2.49.
5. Ultimate Chipotle Crispy Beef Taco – EXTRA BEEF, EXTRA CHEESE, LETTUCE, PICO, ULTIMATE QUESO AND CHIPOTLE SAUCE. Just $1.99.

Taco Bueno is all about authenticity with their made-in-house menu items. Cooked with fresh – never frozen – 100 percent ground beef, three of the new tacos feature the fan-favorite “Ultimate Queso” made in-house daily.

“We love tacos. We also love that we can jazz them up with interesting fun flavors to make new creations that we know our customers are going to go crazy for,” said Beddoe.

Buenoheads are invited to check out the new Summertime for Tacos, available for a limited time at participating restaurants nationwide or on demand through mobile delivery services. Taco Bueno has partnered with third-party delivery apps, allowing Buenoheads to consume Bueno all day and every day. To find a store or for more information about mobile delivery, please visit www.tacobueno.com.

As Father’s Day draws closer, families are preparing for backyard cookouts to honor Dad. For those who want to enjoy the meaty goodness of barbecue while giving Dad a break from manning the grill, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que makes celebrating his special day easy with online ordering and nationwide shipping. Simplify preparation further and complete the meal by adding some of Soulman’s homemade sides.

“We love to help our customers from all over celebrate their fathers,” said Brett Randle, CEO at Soulman’s Bar-B-Que. “Our delivery lightens the load for barbeque hosts. Customers are mere clicks away from meaty deliciousness arriving at their doors.”

Soulman’s offers hearty portions of hickory-smoked goodness perfect for sharing with friends and family. Deliverable meats include Soulman’s St. Louis-style pork ribs, brisket, sausage and hot links. Each order includes a bottle of Soulman’s signature bar-b-que sauce.

Offerings Include:

Soulman’s St. Louis Style Pork Ribs for $49.99 plus shipping

2 slabs of ribs

1 12-ounce bottle of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Brisket & Sausage for $49.99 plus shipping

2 pounds beef brisket

1 pound Soulman’s sausage

1 12-ounce bottle of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Soulman’s Hot Links for $39.99 plus shipping

3 pounds hot links

1 12-ounce bottle of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

The Trifecta Brisket, Ribs & Sausage for $69.99 plus shipping

2 pounds beef brisket

1 slab of ribs

1 pound sausage

2 12-ounce bottles of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Soulman’s Smoked Sausage for $39.99 plus shipping

3 pounds smoked sausage
1 12-ounce bottle of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket for $39.99 plus shipping

2 pounds brisket

1 12-ounce bottle of Soulman’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Due to the hot Texas weather, Soulman’s will not ship any meat items on Thursday or Friday. Any order placed between Thursday and Sunday will ship on the following Monday.

The Taco Bueno family is rapidly growing as they welcome Chief Operating Officer Tony Darden and Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Beddoe to the fold. Both executives hail from distinguished industry positions and will bring innovation and processes to the table to expand Taco Bueno in reputation, brand and market share.

“Our North Texas-based iconic Tex-Mex chain has seen a flurry of activity in the first half of 2017,” said Taco Bueno President and CEO Mike Roper. “These key additions are solidifying our intent to keep firmly rooted in the traditions that have supported our brand for the past 50 years while taking innovation seriously in an extremely competitive market. We are committed to strengthening our industry presence to attract and keep new customers.”

Tony Darden comes to Taco Bueno from Panera Bread, where he served as vice president of operations. His decades of experience in the restaurant industry have prepared him for the task at hand at Taco Bueno: to create an industry-leading operations team and streamline processes and procedures for organizational efficiencies while keeping a keen eye on customer service. Darden’s tremendous industry and consumer knowledge will make him an integral member in Taco Bueno’s plans to transform their brand.

Sarah Beddoe began her position in January 2017 and has already made strides to modernize the perception and offerings Taco Bueno brings to the market with successful campaigns such as the Wholotta Box. Her charge is to amplify the existing brand passion of Taco Bueno and increase advocacy for the award-winning Tex-Mex chain among a younger audience through social, experiential and digital marketing initiatives. The implementation of a unique product pipeline will also drive market growth. Beddoe came to Taco Bueno from Sonic, where she had served as vice president of national marketing since 2015. Prior to Sonic, she was director of digital experience and social engagement for Pizza Hut Corp.

Taco Bueno has been rolling out proactive growth plans since the appointment of Roper as CEO in December of 2015. These hires come less than a year after the addition of Matt Stanton, formerly of SmashBurger, as senior vice president of development. Stanton, who steers both corporate and franchise development, expects to add 10 corporately-owned locations in 2017 and is eyeing a goal of 50-75 franchise sales per year subsequently.

In April, Roper was featured on CBS Network’s Undercover Boss where he was immersed in the operations of the iconic chain he leads. “The lessons learned from that once-in-a-lifetime experience have already had a profound effect on how I lead this business. I can tell you from the heart that people are our business. Building a team, whether it’s at the corporate office, in the field, with suppliers and business partners, is what really defines the trajectory of success for any company. Having Tony and Sarah leading their charges is part of our overall and extended plan for success.”