Winnetka Heights Restaurant’s Adaptive Reuse Gives Dallas a Much-Needed Preservation Win

Kicking off the new year with a preservation win is just what we need after last year’s devastating losses. So, let’s take a deep dive into one of the best adaptive reuse projects we’ve seen in some time. It’s also one of the most heartwarming.

This Tudor Gave Oak Cliff Gas

Originally Magnolia Petroleum Service Center #963 with Jim Hogg Caldwell as the proprietor, the 1933-built neighborhood gas station was a hot commodity, but they were not always welcome.

To appease neighbors who were not thrilled to have a service station in their backyard, gas companies adopted a residential building style for their structures, with the only clue as to their purpose being the gas pumps. This one was built to resemble a Jacobean Tudor home.

“After 1920, oil companies introduced neighborhood service stations in and around wealthy residential areas of urban communities. These neighborhood stations required large corner lots accessible from two primary arterial streets. Neighborhood stations often took on materials and forms similar to a residence with special deference to nearby neighborhoods.”

A Field Guide to Gas Stations in Texas, W. Dwayne Jones

Over the years, this building has had an interesting history of adaptive reuse. It’s been a washateria as well as a taqueria. When it eventually went up for sale, neighbors and lifelong pals Vinnie Sherman and Chad Dolezal took note because they had their own ideas about adaptive reuse.

From Friends to Business Partners

Vinnie and Chad grew up in Dallas, met through mutual friends as teenagers, and hung out together in college in Austin. Vinnie joined the Army and then became a Realtor. Chad went to culinary school, working in France, California, and Austin. His family has always been involved in the restaurant business, so this was a case of the apple not falling far from the tree.

Chad decided to move back to Dallas after many successful restaurant ventures, including a stint at actress Sandra Bullock’s Austin restaurant in the early 2000s. By this time, both Vinnie and Chad were married, living in Winnetka Heights, and hanging out again but with small children in tow. The lightbulb moment hit when they would meet for lunch with their kiddos.

“We got those looks when we’d walk in, everywhere we went,” Vinnie said. It became clear a kid-friendly, indestructible restaurant was the missing element in their Winnetka Heights neighborhood. Vinnie and his mother, Diane Sherman, are well-known Realtors, and Chad has the necessary culinary skills. So, the idea of a restaurant seemed not just necessary but also logical. The hunt for the right building and location began.

Adaptive Reuse: A Big Win For Winnetka Heights

Vinnie grew up on a steady diet of preservation and adaptive reuse. His parents completely restored their home in Winnetka Heights. His dad refurbished a building for his law office, and Diane has been one of our go-to preservation experts for years. So, it’s not surprising a historic building would figure prominently in the search for a restaurant site.

“We looked at a lot of places,” Chad said. “This building was always in the back of our minds because it’s close by and has a big area for grass that could be fenced in for the kids,” Vinnie said. “The Winnetka Heights demographic has changed. There were a lot of families pushing strollers, and there was nothing family-oriented nearby. We knew the concept would work here.”

And, of course, mothers know best. Diane was always pulling for the boys to buy the former Magnolia Petroleum Service Center.

Was it easy? Of course not. Adapting a building that has been a filling station and a washateria into a restaurant was a challenge. But of course, as a Realtor with a great degree of knowledge about historic preservation and adaptive reuse, Vinnie knew what was involved.

Chad was no stranger to preservation either. He had been through the landmark process with his home. They had the typical supply delays and five visits to the landmark commission. Despite all the hoops, there was enormous community support.

“When they went in front of the plan commission and city council, they had over 60 letters of support and a host of speakers, and a unanimous vote from the Dallas City Council,” Diane said.

Then the hard work started. “When we tore out the dropped ceiling, we discovered the four original garage doors had been rolled up under it,” Vinnie said.” They were in bad shape, but we salvaged two.”

Vinnie wanted to vault the ceiling, which created a lighting challenge, but fortunately, they had a secret weapon.

Chad’s wife, Joy, has a background in architecture and design and a particularly keen level of skill with lighting. She replicated some of the historic light fixtures and selected colors that were fitting for the building. And what happened to the joists they removed? Vinnie built the tables out of them.

Cenzo’s, at 1700 W. 10th St., opened to a packed house on December 19th with chef-driven pizza and five kinds of sandwiches from chef Jason Smith, who makes his secret dough daily. And yes, it is the best pizza you will ever eat. I can attest to that firsthand.

This is such a wonderful lesson in adaptive reuse, and Oak Cliff, in general, is a shining example of how to do it right. “There is a lot to be said for being personally and professionally invested in a place,” Diane said. “There is keen interest in leaving things better than you found them over here.”

“The best thing about having Cenzo’s is making people happy,” Vinnie said. “It’s the same as finding someone the right home.

“I’ve been in the restaurant business for 23 years now, “Chad said. “I do it because I love to make people happy and see that in their faces. We’ve created a comfortable, friendly community space whether you are stopping in for a beer after work with friends or bringing all the kids to celebrate a birthday.”

Or a preservation win!