WAREhaus Exits West Village, A Quiet Departure Among Many Arrivals

by Lisa Petty on Oct 9, 2014 in News

 

More change is afoot in the West Village, Uptown Dallas’ walkable outdoor shopping center. With a massive expansion underway, however, the closure of an innovative independent retailer nearly went unnoticed by local consumers and media. Today, we have the scoop.

 

 

Just blocks from I-75 in Uptown, the West Village reveals growth by the day. Established in 2001, the popular shopping, dining, residential, and entertainment complex has fanned out to the north and east across Blackburn Street and down Cityplace West Boulevard, from its phase one core near the corner of McKinney and Lemmon Avenues. As we announced in July, a new fourth phase of expansion at 3700 McKinney Avenue (rendering pictured below) will bring the West Village’s grand total to 6,000 apartments, 250,000 square feet of retail space, and nearly 100 shops and restaurants.

 

 

These days, debuts abound in the West Village, with new doors opening at regular intervals. Just recently, J. Crew, Flirt Boutique, and Buda Juice have bowed, hot on the heels of Abi Ferrin and Lyfe Kitchen. No fewer than a half-dozen more openings are slated for coming weeks. In the midst of all the construction and crowds and commotion, it would be easy to miss the departure of a small, but significant, independent retailer.

Saturday, August 30, 2014, marked the final day in business for WAREhaus. Neighboring Gap, near the corner of McKinney Avenue and Blackburn Street, the curated menswear shop offered an innovative, fashion-forward mix of upscale, but attainable, labels. A welcoming sales team and eye-catching décor made for a well-rounded indie find.

 

 

Almost two years exactly from the day it opened in 2012, the menswear retailer quietly shuttered. No fuss was made, and no farewell fête planned, with co-owners Patrick Ware and Erin McBriar choosing instead to move forward, rather than looking back.

“This decision wasn’t easy,” McBriar explained to DFW Style Daily. “We chose to close our doors with integrity, and on our own terms, rather than spreading ourselves thin in an effort to keep the store.” After careful consideration, the WAREhaus partners allowed the aforementioned Flirt Boutique to assume a lease on their centrally-located space. The youthful women’s retailer celebrated its opening weekend on October 3 – 5.

 

 

As for McBriar and Ware, they’re moving on separately, with a message to their loyal shoppers. “We are so grateful to our customers and Dallas for supporting us these past two years, and allowing us to do something we love,” the team concludes. Ware will still be available to offer clients the customized service they have come to know and trust, in a new position at Traffic LA inside downtown’s Joule Hotel.

In a city so focused on the new and the next, it’s the hardest part of our job to report on a departure. WAREhaus will be missed, one notable subtraction in the midst of so many additions.

 

Photos, credit DFW Style Daily and West Village Management Co.