With a growing population in Downtown Dallas that now exceeds 10,000 residents with more than 55,000 sharing a 2.5 mile radius, the area has found an increased need for grocery stores. Before Downtown grew in its residential population, there were a few markets that opened and closed in quick succession, including the Urban Market on Jackson Street which closed in 2012. As Royal Blue Grocery opens at the Trammell Crow Center , residents and professionals alike will benefit from the location, prepared food options, and general convenience of downtown grocery options.
Royal Blue Grocery is not a common concept. Founder Craig Staley and his partner, George Scariano started Royal Blue Grocery in Downtown Austin as a compact urban market in 2005, as more in-town shoppers began to populate the area,. There are now 6 unique stores in Austin, and one opened by owner Zac Porter in Highland Park Village in 2015.
Every Royal Blue Grocery is a combination of a gourmet market, convenience store, regular grocery, and cafe, selling a variety of items from local Texas sweets and Dallas based-products, to coffee made by the famous Stumptown Coffee company in Portland, Oregon. They also offer a wine selection and beautiful floral arrangements. The cafe will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and will serve a variety of wines and beers great for drinks after work. Although the two new stores will not have every item on a grocery list, it will be the new go-to stop for all of the best food products Dallas has to offer.
At the Trammell Crow Center, the Royal Blue Grocery patio will overlook the Dallas Museum of Art. On the other side of the building that is undergoing major renovation, a new restaurant, created by Tim McEney, will be similar in concept to Front Room Tavern, his other restaurant located in the Lumen Hotel Downtown.
The growing residential population is a sign of the scope of transformation of the downtown area from office buildings and businesses to now a full destination of art, food, leisure, and full residential life. The beautiful and iconic buildings downtown are changing the way Dallas residents work and live as renovations and additions such as the Royal Blue Grocery create a blend a fuller and more convenient lifestyle. Royal Blue will fill an immediate need to Trammell Crow Center tenants and employees, and is a major boon for businesses in the area.
