20 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com JULY | AUGUST 2018 AUSTIN RANCH DOG PARK NOT JUST FOR THE DOGS T he Shacks Dining & Dog Park in The Colony embraces the concept of dog-friendly patios. Designed and developed by Billingsley Company in the 1,700-acre master-planned community of Austin Ranch, six small restaurant spaces share a large open- air patio overlooking a public one-acre dog park, named after the Billingsley’s Chief Barketing Officer, Bacon. With rolling terrain and huge oak trees, the restored and reclaimed construction of The Shacks was designed to complement the natural beauty of the area. The innovative project brings more than just a dog-friendly patio to the natural views and landscaping. It also brings a variety of restaurant concepts perfect for any group, plus regular programming in the form of live music events, trivia nights, kid-friendly programs and pet-specific events including adoptions and mobile vets. The restaurants feature an eclectic mix of dining, drinking and coffee options, from ramen and tacos, to burgers and seafood, plus a new beer and wine taproom. The last retail venue to round out the Shacks directory is Turbo Coffee, which just announced they will be joining the other tenants later this year. The first Shack to open alongside Bacon’s Dog Park was TEN Ramen, from Japanese cuisine master, Teiichi Sakurai, a James Beard Award semi-finalist. Sakurai committed to the project early in the design phase because he felt that The Shacks was something entirely new to the area. Three additional restaurants followed suit, including OMG Tacos, which has another location in Richardson and a cult Photo courtesy of GrrrowlersTap Room and Beer Garden