New restaurants, retail stores added to CityCentre area

The patio at Ruggles Green at CityCentre attracts outdoor diners during the comfortable fall weather. CityCentre has added a variety of tenants to the mix of retail, restaurant and entertainment options. The patio at Ruggles Green at CityCentre attracts outdoor diners during the comfortable fall weather. CityCentre has added a variety of tenants to the mix of retail, restaurant and entertainment options. Photo: R. Clayton McKee, Freelance Photo: R. Clayton McKee, Freelance Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close New restaurants, retail stores added to CityCentre area 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

CityCentre has added a number of new tenants to the mix of retail, restaurant and entertainment options offered in the multi-use development.

The recent leasing activity for the facility, located at 800 Town and Country Blvd. near the intersection of the Katy Freeway and Beltway 8, accounts for about 60,000 square feet and brings the retail portion of the 6.4-acre destination to 90 percent occupancy.

Aimee Braswell, general manager of property management, said residents have been excited about the opening of clothing retailer H&M. The store is the first in Houston for the brand that is outside of a mall setting.

The 20,000-square-foot store offers apparel at affordable prices, with collections for women, men and children, as well as sections for accessories and sports apparel.

"We really felt they were a good addition to our center," Braswell said. "It allowed us to give a bigger variety and an affordable price point to our shoppers."

Fellini Gelato & Caffé also is located in the center. The 2,000-square-foot restaurant is situated on the south end of Sorella Court next to Houston Motor Club and below the Houston Texans Grille.

The concept pairs Salvatore Albelice and Monica Gonzalez, founders of Rice Village's Fellini Caffè, with father and daughter duo, Nash and Brina D'Amico. The menu features coffee from Italy, house-made gelato, panini, stuffed croissants, Sicilian-inspired pastries and rosticceria. Gourmet trays and cakes are available to order for parties and special events.

"It's a Houston-grown, Italian-rooted café," Braswell said. "We needed more options for breakfast and fast casual dining. It's a great spot to sit outside and have breakfast or lunch."

To add to the options for hungry shoppers, Grimaldi's Pizzeria will open in a 4,000 square-foot space this spring.

This will be the first location for the chain within the Houston city limits. Known for its hand-tossed and coal-fired brick oven pizzas, calzones and salads, Grimaldi's will also offer private event dining.

Madewell has just opened its third Houston boutique. The 3,300 square-foot store is located at the south end of Town and Country Boulevard next to Urban Outfitters.

The store is a sister brand to J. Crew and is known for modern, unique styles and approachable designs.

"The focus is on everything that can be worn with denim," Braswell said. "Madewell is a good addition for so many age groups."

Another addition is West Elm, the Brooklyn-based home furnishings retailer. The 12,000 square-foot store is located on the south side of Town and Country Boulevard.

The new location is open with West Elm's complete holiday assortment and a suite of complimentary design services. Items made by Texas-based artists and makers are sold in-store as part of West Elm's local initiative.

"What we like about them is their focus on sustainability," Braswell said.

CityCentre recently signed a 16,000-square-foot lease with Bowl and Barrel, which will open on the south end of Sorella Court at Queensbury Lane and the Beltway 8 feeder, targeting a February opening.

The upscale 15-lane bowling venue will also feature a full-scale restaurant and bar.

"It has an elegant, rustic feel," Braswell said. "It's a great concept that has been doing well in Dallas."

An American bistro called the General Public will open next door, also in February. Both establishments are owned and developed by FreeRange Concepts.

The company's owner Kyle Noonan said the idea for a boutique bowling alley formed while he was in college.

He and his roommate-turned-business partner Josh Sepkowitz wanted to go bowling one night.

"But there weren't any bowling alleys where we actually wanted to hang out," he recalled. "They all had sticky floors and stale beer. We figured there has to be a better way."

They opened the first Bowl and Barrel in Dallas three years ago and another in San Antonio last year. He said this third location will open at the early part of next year.

Construction on General Public will be completed around the same time. The restaurant has a focus on farm-to-table cuisine.

"Everything will be locally sourced or made in house," Noonan said. "It's a place where you can go on a date, to a business meeting or out with friends for dinner, lunch, happy hour or the late night scene."

Noonan said that finding enough space to open a bowling alley can be a challenge.

"That much square footage in a good area is either non-existent or cost prohibitive," he said. "CityCentre was the perfect blend of everything we needed and they wanted another entertainment venue."

One existing business in CityCentre is also in the process of adding space.

Olive & Vine, which first debuted in the development in 2011, is anticipating a fall completion of a new location, which will more than double their original footprint.

The shop is being housed in a temporary site on the southeast corner of Town and Country Boulevard and CityCentre Way.

Its permanent home will be between Paper Source and Madewell on the south side of Town and Country Boulevard.

The store features a wide selection of olive oils and authentic imported balsamic vinegars and offers a tasting bar to showcase its products.

"They've had a great success and they decided to expand," Braswell said. "It will be a larger operation. We anticipate a winter opening."

Construction is also continuing in the development on CityCentre Five. The 16-story office tower will offer 8,000 square-feet of retail space on the ground floor. The building is slated to open in early December to office tenants.

"It will provide an extra 600 garage parking spots just in time for the holidays," Braswell said.

She said that CityCentre is looking for the right mix of retail tenants to feature on the ground floor.

"We really want to find just the right businesses to enhance the property," she said. "We're looking for first-to-market tenants."

Braswell said bringing top-notch tenants to the space is a priority.

"This is a landmark mixed-use project," she said. "It's important to really look at what you're trying to create and be smart about it."

Besides the variety of options for shoppers and diners, Braswell said that the center's annual 350-plus events keep guests coming back.

"CityCentre is known within Houston for having a welcoming and lively atmosphere," Braswell said.

Midway, the development company behind CityCentre, recently purchased another 6.4 acres of land north of the center, on the frontage road for Interstate 10.

"We'll be adding to the overall project, and we're trying to find what makes the most sense to do," Braswell said.

Details: citycentrehouston.com