Does anyone have memories of The Army Store that’s been sitting on Garland Road for 60 years? How about Vhea’s LaundroMutt right next door?
They are expected to leave the shopping center soon due to a recent rise in rent.
“Well Mutts, we’ve been given 60 days to vacate the property we are currently in on Garland Road. But wait, it gets better… The Army store nextdoor to us has also received the same wonderful news. The property MGMT isn’t renewing our leases because they have some high paying renters coming in to occupy our spaces,” wrote the owners of Vhea’s LaundroMutt in a Facebook post.
Many commenters shared their condolences and upset feelings towards the move.
The owners end their post, “So, have no fear, we are hastily looking for a close place to land to reopen so we can continue to serve our wonderful East Dallas neighborhood.”
Garland Road has gone through significant changes over the past few years with the addition of small businesses like Hypnotic Donuts, Cultivar Coffee and Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House. Along with these locally-owned joints came big business like Chick-fil-a.
“There is this extreme perception that we want nothing more than cute mom-and-pop shops,” said John Olson, a Little Forest Hills resident and former member of the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce’s Garland Road Vision Committee in a past Advocate article from 2017. “There has to be a balance.”
Rising rent can be a sign of new development in the area, sometimes at the cost of these type of businesses.
“It’s about creating multipliers that keep people in place,” he said, such as opening an ice cream shop next to a restaurant, something that keeps retail patrons in an area, moving from business to business, as in Bishop Arts. “We have to think of what this neighborhood will be in 20 years, 30 years or 50 years.”
We’ll keep readers updated when we hear news about a new location and what businesses will open in the shopping center.
