The Galleria Mall Developments

[TreaderCRC]

I am now living in Los Angeles, but on a recent trip to Houston, I saw the difference in retail outlets in the Galleria and even Highland Village. Both places have gotten pretty big chains and specialty stores, like Burberry, Dior, Bose, Jimmy Choo, and Luca Luca.

Although most people don't care for this, since it is outside of most people's reach, I work in this industry, doing marketing for luxury brands, and I know that stores moving into a city at this pace signifies growth and confidence that the city is chic enough and diversified enough to open shop. In Houston, there have been 13 store openeings of a high caliber, those found in Rodeo Dr or 5th Ave. 10 years ago, that would have been impossible, I think that Houston is on the ap like never before.

But those are just my thoughts. Though it is not the architecture phenomenon we all wish for, at least people visiting---for pleasure or business---will see the Gucci store or the Sony Style store and not feel that they are in a country town with big freeways. Not to up-play it, but this type of thing makes a difference when producers look for a city to host a show in, like the REAL WORLD or and awards show. It puts us on the cultural map.

What do you guys think?

Treader

[Montrose1100]

Well Houston has always had stores, I can remember Gucci, and many others. To say recently, because of the new extension of the Galleria, there is more variety of luxury stores. Even "Hip Stores" Like Urban Outfitters have 3 locations around town, in the Galleria, Rice Village, and the Woodlands. I am glad to see more of them pop up everywhere, in-cluding the Galleria. I do like some of the new stores, but mostly not, because most appeal to the female crowd. But knowing people with (just a little bit of) money have more of a variety, is very nice indeed.

[SpaceCity]

You're tellin' me that you don't think Target is high fashion? They got one of them in the Galleria area too. It's where I take all my chillins to get their clothin'.

[Montrose1100]

You're tellin' me that you don't think Target is high fashion? They got one of them in the Galleria area too. It's where I take all my chillins to get their clothin'.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But if you lived in the Woodlands, and drived all the way to the Galleria, to shop at Target?

Talk about wasting gas.

[chayves4u]

I was at the Galleria yesterday, and when I went to the Galleria III I saw a sign on that platform in the middle of the wing that said "Please pardon our dust as we prepare to renovate this area". Does anybody know what that's supposed to mean? Are they gonna renovate the whole Galleria III like they did the rest of the mall?? I really hope so.. that part of the mall is UGLY! lol Even though it is nice and quiet there..

[VelvetJ]

Not to up-play it, but this type of thing makes a difference when producers look for a city to host a show in, like the REAL WORLD or and awards show.  It puts us on the cultural map.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly TreaderCRC, I agree completely. Things like that do indeed make a difference in the overall image of a city. That was the point I was trying to make in a previous thread with regard to Virgin Record Stores in downtown, professional sports teams, etc. There are certain stores and amenities that cities of our size are expected to have and when visitors and business people don't find them, it can hurt the cities image to a degree. I'm not saying a Virgin Records will "put Houston on the map", but those types of things can add to a city's image and image can mean a lot.

I also have noticed the large amount of high end retail that has entered the Houston market over the past couple of years and hope it continues. I never shop at those places but I love what they do for the city's image considering the "oil soaked country bumkin' cowtown" image Houston seems to continue to have with so many people.

[pwright1]

I love it. I love seeing Hermes, Chanel, Cole Haan, Louis Vitton, Versace and others in Houston. I took some out of town friends over to Highland Village and the Uptown area to shop and look around. We rode through River Oaks looking at all the beautiful homes. We traveled all over town, especially in the inner loop areas. My two friends were from Atlanta and Washington D.C. They were truely impressed. They were totally mezzmorized by Houston. They really were shocked. They loved it.

[111486]

Fox Sports Grill is coming to Houston. It will be located in the Galleria. Has anybody seen construction on this. Will it be a seperate restaurant that you can enter from the outdoors, because I cannot see a FOX Sports Grill being small.

There are only 4 currently in the U.S.

[midtown_resident]

I believe there is one also in the new E Terminal at IAH.

[HOUCAJUN]

Fox Sports Grill is coming to Houston.  It will be located in the Galleria.  Has anybody seen construction on this.  Will it be a seperate restaurant that you can enter from the outdoors, because I cannot see a FOX Sports Grill being small.

There are only 4 currently in the U.S.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i passed by their recently and it looks to be almost finished. the inside looks great. they are also doing other constuction to the galleria 3 area. not sure what else they are doing. can't wait till it opens.

[HOUCAJUN]

I believe there is one also in the new E Terminal at IAH.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

really, are you sure?

[midtown_resident]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories...02/daily28.html

when you open that link...do a "find" on "Fox"...it's called a Fox Sports full-service restaurant and sports bar....

But when i was there the other day, i could swear it said "Fox Sports Grill"

[MidtownCoog]

The Galleria III location seems like a risky proposal.

Even Coach moved to the good part of the mall.

[editor]

I've seen the Fox Sports thing at O'Hare airport. It's nothing special. Looks just like any other airport sports bar.

As for the one in the Galleria -- that's an interesting idea. Give the men somewhere to spend the day while their wives shop. Perhaps this marks the beginning of a shift in the Galleria targeting from rich women and their little girls to families.

[ricco67]

Amen to that, it'll give us men a chance to put the bags away and rest while the women run and test the melting point of various credit cards.

Ricco

[111486]

Does anybody know if it is a major restaurant like the Cheesecake Factory, where you can enter from the outside?

[MidtownCoog]

It's across from Sharper Image. There is a street level exit close by, but not sure if they have a door.

[KinkaidAlum]

Yes, there is definitely a Fox Sports Grill in the new Terminal E. It is actually quite neat. It is nicknamed the "Skybox" because it seems suspended up in the air near gates E 18 and 19.

I took a flight to EWR last week and you could hear the games being played on the large screen televisions from the boarding area.

[ssullivan]

Yes, there is definitely a Fox Sports Grill in the new Terminal E. It is actually quite neat. It is nicknamed the "Skybox" because it seems suspended up in the air near gates E 18 and 19.

I took a flight to EWR last week and you could hear the games being played on the large screen televisions from the boarding area.

I haven't eaten in the Terminal E Fox Sports Grill yet but it's there. I walked up and looked at it back in January not too long after that section of the new terminal opened. It looks pretty neat.

Speaking of Terminal E, if you're ever caught hungry at IAH while waiting on a flight, it's definitely the best place to go. Two food courts feature a nice variety of fast-service options, including Pappasito's Express. There's also a full service Pappadeaux restaurant in the concourse closer to Terminal C between gates E4 and E5.

[111486]

It's across from Sharper Image.  There is a street level exit close by, but not sure if they have a door.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well that sucks if it is just a restaurant that is inside the mall like Ninfa's is. I thought it was a larger restaurant like the Cheesecake Factory.

[MidtownCoog]

Actually, looking at the map, it may just have an exit outside.

It's designated at "B" on this map at street level:

http://www.simon.com/mall/show_floorplan.aspx?ID=805

[111486]

Actually, looking at the map, it may just have an exit outside.

It's designated at "B" on this map at street level:

http://www.simon.com/mall/show_floorplan.aspx?ID=805

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK. So just to get an idea it will be in the building to the right of Saks Fifth as shown in the pic. I thought they were going to build a whole seperate restaurant connected to the mall.

[MidtownCoog]

Yep, that's it. Somewhere under the "G" in Galleria.

That lot used to be so easy to park in, but it has been really busy the last few years.

What a beautiful picture!

[111486]

The last time I went to the Galleria, there was a Ralph Lauren billboard to the right of the Ralph Lauren store saying opening some time soon. Is the Ralph Lauren store expanding? Almost every major city has a main Ralph Lauren store, and they are pretty huge. I always thought the one in the Galleria was pretty small compared to other cities.

[MontroseNeighborhoodCafe]

EXCLUSIVE REPORTS

From the October 15, 2004 print edition

Fox Sports Grill takes to the field with Houston venue

Allison Wollam

Houston Business Journal

Houston is about to secure a front-row seat in the national sports arena.

Fox Sports Grill is planning to enter the Texas market early next month with the opening of an upscale sports bar in Houston's Galleria mall. The venue will be only the fifth of its kind in the country.

Fox Sports Grill was founded in 2001 by Fox Sports and B&B Restaurant Ventures. The first Fox Sports Grill opened in Scottsdale, Ariz., in November 2002. Other locations include Irvine, Calif.; Seattle; and Nyack, N.Y. An Atlanta location is scheduled to open this fall.

The local Fox Sports Grill will open one year after rumors surfaced that competitor ESPN Zone was looking for space to launch a similar concept in Houston.

Last fall, retail sources said ESPN Zone was considering touching down in Houston. But the sports-themed restaurant has yet to make an appearance in the Bayou City. (See "ESPN Zone kicks around plan to enter Houston retail scene," Oct. 24, 2003.)

ESPN Zone spokesman John Pierce said this week that the company does not currently have plans to establish a Houston presence.

"Houston is a great sports town, but we're not growing our concept right now," Pierce says.

Fox Sports does, however, see scoring potential in the Bayou City.

The company's 15,000-square-foot restaurant and bar will be located next to Saks Fifth Avenue and will feature an outdoor deck with fire pit, atrium patio seating inside the Galleria, a cigar humidor, multiple plasma screens and sports packages for all major sporting events.

"We are elevating the traditional sports bar to a new level," says Bill Freeman, president and CEO of Fox Sports Grill.

He says the concept is unique because it places an emphasis on food and entertainment and is able to hold live entertainment productions, thanks to the deep pockets Fox Sports.

For example, the Fox Sports Grill in Seattle presents a live television show hosted by former Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon.

Freeman says Fox Sports chose to locate a grill in Houston because the area is not fully served when it comes to offering a combination of destination dining and high-energy entertainment venues.

The fact that the Galleria hosts a large number of business travelers and pedestrian traffic gives Fox Sports Grill an opportunity to win over a wide range of new customers, says Freeman, who counts Champps Americana, P.F. Changs and The Cheesecake Factory among the grill's head-to-head competitors.

"We're actually competing against any entertainment event or any restaurant for the same discretionary dollars," he says.

Another competitor, Shucker's Sports Bar, will be located in hitting distance of Fox Sports Grill's new facility in the Galleria.

Officials with Shucker's, which also operates in the Galleria, declined to comment on Fox Sports Grill's impending arrival.

Scoring points

Freeman says Fox Sports Grill targets the "socially active" crowd who dine out regularly.

He says 25- to 35-year-olds typically make up the eatery's late-night crowd, while 35- to 50-year-olds are the mainstream customer base.

Chris Tripoli, president of A La Carte Foodservice Consulting, says Houston has yet to experience the "reinvention" of sports bars that take food more seriously and offer an overall elevated experience.

"The sports bars in Houston have slowly all gotten too similar with televisions, snack food and beer," he says. "The new wave of sports bars keep the sports feel but also offer a good restaurant with more enhanced decor."

Indeed, Freeman says Fox Sports Grill will have its own executive chef, and the menu will feature items such as Maryland lump crab cakes, steaks, ribs and bite-size burgers.

Tripoli believes Fox Sports Grill has a good chance of making it in the competitive Houston restaurant industry because of its "celebrity" name connection and prime location within the Galleria.

[111486]

[quote name=MontroseNeighborhood

The company's 15' date='000-square-foot restaurant and bar will be located next to Saks Fifth Avenue and will feature an outdoor deck with fire pit, atrium patio seating inside the Galleria, a cigar humidor, multiple plasma screens and sports packages for all major sporting events.

cool.

[LAguy]

The last time I went to the Galleria, there was a Ralph Lauren billboard to the right of the Ralph Lauren store saying opening some time soon.  Is the Ralph Lauren store expanding?  Almost every major city has a main Ralph Lauren store, and they are pretty huge.  I always thought the one in the Galleria was pretty small compared to other cities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

they probably are expanding becuase the store is pretty small by RL standards. I'd expect it to be 7,500 to 10,000 square feet when it reopens. Dallas has a Polo store, RL in Highland Park Village and soon another store in Northpark. I think the global store template is around 15,000 to 20,000 sq ft.

[Dallasite]

Very cool! We are waiting for something like this to appear in Dallas. Should be a great investment in Houston.

[TreaderCRC]

Does anyone have any info on the new Galleria stores opening up soon? I heard there was a Carolina Herrera store, a Michael Kors store, and also a Sean John store? I live in L.A. and I am writing an article about the Houston cultural change and this is a part of my article. If anyone has any info that would help me out. Also, what is gonna happen to the Lord and Taylor spot?

[111486]

Does anyone have any info on the new Galleria stores opening up soon?  I heard there was a Carolina Herrera store, a Michael Kors store, and also a Sean John store?  I live in L.A. and I am writing an article about the Houston cultural change and this is a part of my article.  If anyone has any info that would help me out.  Also, what is gonna happen to the Lord and Taylor spot?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some new stores I know of coming inside the Galleria are Aeropostale, David Yurman, Fox Sports Grill, Victoria Secret Beauty(don't know the difference from the other one in the Galleria), and Ylang-Ylang.

They have not specified where they are going to put Sean John. More than likely it will be in the Galleria by next year. They are looking for an area in Houston where there is 100,000 people in a 5 mile radius and the income of the families in the area are very high. With that said, it will probably be located in the Galleria or some area in Uptown.

[MidtownCoog]

I just don't see Sean John catching on in Houston.

[TreaderCRC]

I just don't see Sean John catching on in Houston.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What? Sean John is so Houston---like any other urban area, it will definately be a hit. Now if you were to say Dolce&Gabbana, now that is a harder sell to a conservative city like Houston.

Any news about the Carolina Herrera store? I know that the Galleria website has job postings for the brand, but I don't know anything further.

[111486]

Now if you were to say Dolce&Gabbana, now that is a harder sell to a conservative city like Houston.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Houston had the first Dolce and Gabbana store in the country. I don not know why it dissapeared. Personally I think it would have longevity in Houston today.

[MidtownCoog]

I dunno. I think Houston has its own style, and not sure if he's it.

Then again, I have only seen the Sean Jean at Foley's and in GQ.

[111486]

I dunno.  I think Houston has its own style, and not sure if he's it.

Then again, I have only seen the Sean Jean at Foley's and in GQ.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, and what they sell is the sportswear. It is kind of like Ralph Lauren, all you see is the cheap spotswear in stores like Foley's or Dillard's, but you don't get to see the apparel that can be compared to designers such as Gucci or Prada. The same can be said about Sean John, and I think this is what his new stores are more focused on.

[2112]

But if you lived in the Woodlands, and drived all the way to the Galleria, to shop at Target?

Talk about wasting gas.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He was joking dude.

[2112]

I am now living in Los Angeles, but on a recent trip to Houston, I saw the difference in retail outlets in the Galleria and even Highland Village.

[2112]

What?

[houstonsemipro]

I could get sean john clothes at D.E.B. in deerbrook mall humble. It's very cheap, and they always have 50% off of everything, so why houston get a sean john store in the galleria while every clothes will cost you twice as more then the mall I go to in deerbrook.

[VelvetJ]

2112, I think TreaderCRC meant compared to most other major American cities, Houston is indeed conservative. It's not the Most conservative, but definitely one of the most conservative. There are exceptions such as Dallas, Salt Lake City and Nashville, but overall Houston would be considered conservative when we are talking American cities.

[2112]

2112, I think TreaderCRC meant compared to most other major American cities, Houston is indeed conservative. It's not the Most conservative, but definitely one of the most conservative. There are exceptions such as Dallas, Salt Lake City and Nashville, but overall Houston would be considered conservative when we are talking American cities.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess it's the "overall Houston would be considered conservative" I have a problem with; it just seems to proclaim the stereotype, whether its reall or not. Maybe it is. But there are so many ways to measure the idea.

I

[2112]

OK. Its time I mentioned something I heard during the All-Star game. I was walking around Main Street during one of the big block parties, and I was next to a guy from who knows where. But what was interesting was his conversation on the phone to, I presume, a buddy of his somewhere not in Houston, because he was saying something like:

[bachanon]

Anyways, I guess it depends on what you are talking about. I know that in the Hispanic community, when it comes to their party allegiance, it is largely liberal and consistently votes democratic. If we are talking about something as different as how women dress, then I would submit that Houston has some of the most awesome and liberal styles around: I remember on my last two trips to NYC, one in June and the other in July...I hardly saw any women wearing mini skirts, short dresses, and in general, hardly any highly arousing and revealing apparel. Maybe its because I am Hispanic and I am used to beautiful, non-pretentious Hispanic women wearing gorgeous sexy clothing and leaving only a little to the imagination. From this perspective, the New York women seemed snooty and conservatively dressed. But again, that

[2112]

this is true.  i was at a wedding in a gallery off of n. main this summer.  the bride and groom were from new york.  the relatives of the groom wanted to know why there were so many prostitutes walking the streets here in houston.  they weren't trying to be funny, it was sadly/truly their perception of the way young women dress here to go out.    i was LMAO, and a bit embarrassed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So they are not ashamed of being a woman and showing it. And I know most guys love it. So I dont understand what the problem is? It's kinda offensive when people that are not used to it, will just proclaim our women as prostitutes. Ive seen it several times also.

Its also cultural, I think. The Latin influence plays a big part, probably.

There's nothing wrong with it, unless your a nun or something I guess.

[MidtownCoog]

Let talk about Yankees and Midwesterners who don't wear makeup.

Detroit and St. Louis REALLY stick out in my mind.

And FWIW, there are "Tutes" on North Main.

[2112]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[111486]

This thread has taken a total 360.

[bachanon]

certainly prostitutes and women who dress like them shop at the galleria.

the original thread made me think someone was privy to new stores going in at the galleria. other than the fox sports cafe/bar, does anyone have any news?

[dbigtex56]

'Tutes "R" Us

[Montrose1100]

this is true.  i was at a wedding in a gallery off of n. main this summer.  the bride and groom were from new york.  the relatives of the groom wanted to know why there were so many prostitutes walking the streets here in houston.  they weren't trying to be funny, it was sadly/truly their perception of the way young women dress here to go out.    i was LMAO, and a bit embarrassed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd have to agree with everyone, the women here are probibly the most attractive then some other cities. Maybe thats why were Strip Club Capital USA! (you can be proud and loud, or ashamed and discreet).

LA, NYC, Milan, Paris (etc) have always been known for there High-Fashion sencibility, but who really sees the clothes they wear on the run-way, when your doing about your everyday life?

Houston has many stores with "hip" clothing, or the lastest trends, but what is distinctivly Houston apperal? I think its just about everything. And the Galleria opening up new stores only throws more flavor (for lack of a better word) into the mix.