PLANO, Texas — This article was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. You can read the original article here.
Assembly Park, a reimagined mixed-use development in Plano, has secured three original food and beverage tenants as the site emerges as a lively destination for diners as well as office users and residents.
The restaurants were conceptualized by business owners Jacob Cox and Danny Wilson, a Dallas duo who launched the hospitality company Blender Brands in 2015. The new restaurants were announced Oct. 14 but exact opening dates have not been set.
Assembly Icehouse will join the development in a 4,850-square-foot space. The icehouse will include a full-service bar, more than 20 televisions and a covered, outdoor patio overlooking the development’s central park. The concept will also have two 15-foot LED screens.
The owners have plans to feature beers on tap from local breweries but did not disclose further information.
Tacoro will operate as a quick-service Mexican restaurant in a 2,000-square-foot space, featuring a full-service bar with margaritas. The space will have limited seating options for those who wish to dine in.
The owners did not disclose the cost of opening the three restaurants but said they would result in 50 to 75 new jobs.
Local restaurateur JR Munoz is on deck to oversee the development of the concepts. Munoz owns and operates the neighborhood bar Will Call in Deep Ellum. What Now Dallas reported he is also attached to Elm St. Saloon and a new pizza concept, The Other Side of Good Pizza, which is set to open near The Epic.
When looking for a place to expand their hospitality business, Cox and Wilson said they knew Assembly Park was going to be a "game changer."
Assembly Park, which has 180,000 square feet of office space and 17,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, is the redevelopment of the former Plano Market Square Mall, which used to encompass 300,000 square feet in the 1980s.
In 2021, Houston-based Triten Real Estate Partners purchased the property and spearheaded a project to redevelop it into a walkable retail and office destination. Assembly Park also boasts an apartment complex with 304 units.
"Jacob and Danny’s vision for these new concepts perfectly align with the original goals we set when developing this property — to create a work, live, play destination, positioned to appeal to a diverse range of community members," stated Scott Arnoldy, founder of Triten Real Estate Partners.
Dallas-based Retail Union oversees restaurant and retail leasing for Assembly Park while CBRE handles office leasing. Kairoi Residential, a San Antonio-based company currently co-developing the tallest tower in Austin, oversees leasing for The Annabel apartments.
Triten's other redevelopments include Work/Shop, a 200,000-square-foot mixed-use site on Belt Line Road in Far North Dallas.
Dallas Business Journal’s Noor Adatia contributed reporting.
