The DFW is the home of multiple headquarters, as the state has favorable laws for corporations. The area also offers lots of space for large office complexes and industrial parks, and these elements help fuel the state’s growing business population and add to its diverse range of offerings. But did you know that the following businesses call DFW home?

7-Eleven, Dallas

7-Eleven may be a $5.5 billion company today because of soda and hot dogs, but the business started out selling blocks of ice for food preservation in the 1920’s. It was initially called Southland Ice Company, and one year later became Tote’m Stores. In 1946, a Japanese supermarket chain called Seven Eleven acquired 70 percent ownership, and the name changed to 7-Eleven to represent its hours of operation, which were from  7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 

Chilis, Dallas

In 1975, you could go to Greenville Avenue in Dallas and get a mouthwatering burger from Chili’s, and, of course, a bowl of chili. Larry Levine, now a well-known entrepreneur, founded the restaurant as an affordable dining option serving Tex-Mex cuisine. Eight years after launching, he sold the brand to Norman E. Brinker, who owned Bennigan’s at the time. Chili’s began offering franchises, and today you’ll find one in all 50 states, as well as countries like Germany and The Philippines.

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Wingstop, Addison

The DFW has the Dallas Wings, and chicken wings. When Wingstop opened in 1994 it was a single store in Garland on First Street. It began offering franchises in 1997, and today has about 1,500 locations internationally. Did you know that in 2021 the company announced a digital-only restaurant called Thighstop, a chicken thigh concept that was designed to save the company money. That has since closed, but it looks unnecessary as their revenue has continued to increase. Fun fact: The company is moving their headquarters to Uptown Dallas this year.

Kimberly-Clark, Irving

You’re probably like, “Who is Kimberly, and what does she do?” Kimberly-Clark is the parent company for paper brands like Kleenex, Kotex, and Huggies. The name comes from founders John A. Kimberly and Charles B. Clark. This brand was founded about 150 years ago in Wisconsin, but moved its headquarters to the Las Colinas area in 1985. In 2023 the company made $20 billion in sales. 

Dave & Buster’s, Coppell

It all started when a guy named Dave and a guy named Buster opened an entertainment destination in Dallas in 1982. After financial issues caused by Covid, the company acquired Main Event in 2022 and its CEO took over as the CEO for Dave and Buster’s. With its new acquisition, the headquarters moved from Dallas to Coppell. 

GameStop, Grapevine

Before GameStop was known as GameStop, it was known as Babbage’s, a software retailer with a shop in the North Park Mall. It started selling video games soon after, and in 1999 the GameStop brand was launched with 30 stores in strip malls across the country. Although the brand took a hit after the popularity of downloadable games overshadowed Xbox and Nintendo games, it’s still a $5 billion company with more than 4,000 stores, and remains the largest video game retailer in the world. 

AP Photo/LM Otero

La Madeleine, Dallas

The first La Madeleine bakery opened in 1983 on Mockingbird Lane, and it’s still there today. Founder Patrick Leon Esquerré wanted to bring his French countryside roots to Texas through a cafeteria-style cafe featuring quiches, crêpes, croissants, and Croque Monsieur.

His venture was supported by the former president of Neiman Marcus, Stanley Marcus, and with Marcus’ advice and Esquerré’s work there are now 86 La Madeleines across nine states.