Craft and GhostBar to Close at Victory, and J.C. Penney Laying off 350 in Plano

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Today is not what you call a good financial news day here in Dallas. With Craft and GhostBar closing at the W/Victory, as Scooper Teresa Gubbins told us hours before the press release today, we can only hope replacements are on their way. We know of one: a new restaurant, Cook Hall, opens to replace Craft come early fall. Cook Hall will offer  “regional cuisine and handcrafted cocktails”, with a new bar and a flow that continues into the W’s Living Room. W’s do not embrace traditional hotel lobbies. Cook Hall (weird name) will offer smaller, share-able plates, more moderate prices. All part of my theory that people are not spending the vast sums they once spent on eating out. It’s too expensive and rich in calories, would rather pay less, eat light.  Why doesn’t someone bring a high end grocer to Victory, like Eatzie’s or Oakville Grocery? Or how about Wegman’s which I visited recently in Harrisburg, PA and which blew me away. Seriously, put Central Market and Whole Foods together and Wegmans still rules. It’s also, along with my beloved Whole Foods, on The Business Insider’s top 15 fastest-growing retailer list.

Sad to see  Ghostbar, the hotel’s 33rd floor nightclub, going bye bye. No word yet on what will take its place, but I know this has to be a major change for condo dwellers at the W who could order up from Craft. Last time I was down at Victory and used the parking garage across from the W, all those shops looked so empty I thought we had a real ghost bar.

Penneys? 350 corporate employees laid off Tuesday at the Plano headquarters, bringing the total number of employees laid off at the Plano office to more than 950 since April. These folks have rent and mortgages to pay. Stories like this is what keeps me in Debbie Downer mode sometimes, but we will hope that this is the start of Penney’s just getting it’s reorganization together.

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

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  1. Grace on July 10, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    Penney’s is actually movng many of their corporate offices to the third floor of their Valley View store. Third floor used to be furniture, lingerie, and other merchandise. All of that has been incorporated into first and second floors, while they remodel third floor into office space.

  2. Grace on July 10, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    Penney’s is actually movng many of their corporate offices to the third floor of their Valley View store. Third floor used to be furniture, lingerie, and other merchandise. All of that has been incorporated into first and second floors, while they remodel third floor into office space.

  3. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    And we have high hopes for that shopping center, now too. In fact, I think a press release crossed my desk….

  4. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    And we have high hopes for that shopping center, now too. In fact, I think a press release crossed my desk….

  5. Eric on July 10, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Wegman's rules, I agree.

  6. Eric on July 10, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Wegman's rules, I agree.

  7. Michael Davis on July 10, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Wegmans is a great store. I have family on the East Coast that shop there often.

    Oakville was supposed to open a store in The House in Victory Park (announced back in 2006 or 2007). I guess the deal went away for whatever reason.

  8. Michael Davis on July 10, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Wegmans is a great store. I have family on the East Coast that shop there often.

    Oakville was supposed to open a store in The House in Victory Park (announced back in 2006 or 2007). I guess the deal went away for whatever reason.

  9. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    We were at Wegmans and Cassie and I were shopping for as many groceries as TSA would let us bring back to Dallas. The olive bar? Oh my!

  10. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 6:01 pm

    We were at Wegmans and Cassie and I were shopping for as many groceries as TSA would let us bring back to Dallas. The olive bar? Oh my!

  11. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    Too bad about Oakville, they have plenty of space in those shops below the W. Give me a great grocery, cleaners, Walgreens and a mani-pedi place, I am a happy camper!

  12. Candy Evans on July 10, 2012 at 6:03 pm

    Too bad about Oakville, they have plenty of space in those shops below the W. Give me a great grocery, cleaners, Walgreens and a mani-pedi place, I am a happy camper!

  13. Diane Tuman on July 10, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    In Harrsburg, PA, the only thing people talk about/lust after is Wegmans. I agree – the place is pretty special.

  14. Diane Tuman on July 10, 2012 at 7:24 pm

    In Harrsburg, PA, the only thing people talk about/lust after is Wegmans. I agree – the place is pretty special.

  15. Dgirl on July 10, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    @ Grace. Not true.

    The jcpenney corporate office remains at the Tollroad & Legacy in Plano. There are still about 3,000 employees working there so it's doubtful many of us would fit on the 3rd floor of the Valley View store!!

    The Valley View 3rd floor has been closed to the public because that is where our new "shops" concepts are being constructed and perfected before being installed in the 700 stores being transformed. It's not office space up there. It's more of a "lab" store where the merchants and visual/creatives can "play" to make sure the new brands and shops wow our customers.

  16. Dgirl on July 10, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    @ Grace. Not true.

    The jcpenney corporate office remains at the Tollroad & Legacy in Plano. There are still about 3,000 employees working there so it's doubtful many of us would fit on the 3rd floor of the Valley View store!!

    The Valley View 3rd floor has been closed to the public because that is where our new "shops" concepts are being constructed and perfected before being installed in the 700 stores being transformed. It's not office space up there. It's more of a "lab" store where the merchants and visual/creatives can "play" to make sure the new brands and shops wow our customers.

  17. Candy Evans on July 11, 2012 at 12:40 am

    Cool Dgirl. Any house related? Those "shops" might make a good blog post! By the way, my daughter and her friends love Penneys — they call it "JCPs".

  18. Candy Evans on July 11, 2012 at 12:40 am

    Cool Dgirl. Any house related? Those "shops" might make a good blog post! By the way, my daughter and her friends love Penneys — they call it "JCPs".

  19. DGirl on July 11, 2012 at 10:55 am

    @ Candy, YES! The entire home store will be remodeled into shops launching March 2013. Exciting new brands @ JCP -> Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler, Bodum, Martha Stewart, Design by Conran (Sir Terrance Conran of London’s Habitat stores), a brand new bridal registry dept with Nambe, Waterford, etc.

  20. DGirl on July 11, 2012 at 10:55 am

    @ Candy, YES! The entire home store will be remodeled into shops launching March 2013. Exciting new brands @ JCP -> Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler, Bodum, Martha Stewart, Design by Conran (Sir Terrance Conran of London’s Habitat stores), a brand new bridal registry dept with Nambe, Waterford, etc.

  21. Candy Evans on July 12, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    @DGirl — OK, I am going to do a post about Martha Stewart office products. Just saw them at Staples friggin LOOOOOVE! I think Martha's a genius if I can do 1/50th with real estate what she did with her home branding I will be happy! You've got to get those. I spent $100 all my office folders now are Martha and labels for the pantry shelves this is an OCD's dream! Holler at me when I can come by and see them! Big fa of what Jeff is doing up at Valley View and will support y'all!

  22. Candy Evans on July 12, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    @DGirl — OK, I am going to do a post about Martha Stewart office products. Just saw them at Staples friggin LOOOOOVE! I think Martha's a genius if I can do 1/50th with real estate what she did with her home branding I will be happy! You've got to get those. I spent $100 all my office folders now are Martha and labels for the pantry shelves this is an OCD's dream! Holler at me when I can come by and see them! Big fa of what Jeff is doing up at Valley View and will support y'all!

  23. Crosstown Clay on July 13, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I sure hope the era of one-named establishments is drawing near. I wouldn't have been surprised if either new place was called "Dub" or "Glare". I guess I hadn't noticed that Ghostbar has been absent from the pop-culture news for awhile, a sign of decline. For awhile it seemed nobody could have an event if it wasn't at the Ghostbar.

    • anon on July 17, 2012 at 11:01 am

      A hair and hail salon by chad rock stool is under construction in the shops in the shops in the W.

  24. Crosstown Clay on July 13, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I sure hope the era of one-named establishments is drawing near. I wouldn't have been surprised if either new place was called "Dub" or "Glare". I guess I hadn't noticed that Ghostbar has been absent from the pop-culture news for awhile, a sign of decline. For awhile it seemed nobody could have an event if it wasn't at the Ghostbar.

    • anon on July 17, 2012 at 11:01 am

      A hair and hail salon by chad rock stool is under construction in the shops in the shops in the W.

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