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The land of cowboys and cattle meet the
culture and cuisine of Asia
by Rich Timlen
For the retail industry in Texas and
Oklahoma lately, it’s been a case of east meets southwest.
Two states better known for their cowboys, country music and cattle are quickly
being introduced to the culture and cuisine of Vietnam.
Shoppers in Irving, TX are awaiting the opening of about 10 Vietnamese-oriented
businesses at Little Saigon Mall located at 3113 North Belt Line Road. The mall
will be anchored by a TNL Super Food Store and will be tenanted by a water shop,
several restaurants and a smoothie and tea cafe. The mall was planning a January
grand opening.
The reason for the opening of Little Saigon Mall most likely has to do with the
growing Asian population in the areas of Carrollton, Irving, Plano and
Richardson, TX. During 2000, more than 26% of Irving residents had been born
outside the U.S.
The mall’s supermarket also will include an Asian fish market. Combined, the
building is expected to occupy a space of 25,000 sq.ft., which is almost twice
the size of the TNL Super Food Store in Haltom City, TX. Planners of Little
Saigon compare it to Irving Bazaar, which has been a hub for the
Spanish-speaking community. The Bazaar, southeast of Little Saigon on West
Irving Boulevard, spans 100,000 sq.ft. and features a recreation area, food
stands and restaurants, a beauty salon and more than 100 vendors.
Little Saigon also has recently added Pho Nhu Y Vietnamese Noodle House
Restaurant, as well as Yen Vy Video, which includes discs, movies and videos of
a mostly Asian theme.
Just north of the Lone Star state in Oklahoma City, OK, the Asian population
(mainly Vietnamese) also continues to grow around the area near NW 23 and
Classen, a section known as - you guessed it - Little Saigon. More than 9,600
Vietnamese-Americans live in the Oklahoma City area, the largest Asian group in
the state. Just recently, the Hong Kong Supermarket opened in November at the
intersection of SW 89 and Pennsylvania. The former golden dome bank building on
Classen at NW 23 may become an office for a Chinese-American optomotrist. Should
that happen, the building could become an Asian community center with retail and
office space.
Another ethnic group that is making its presence felt is the Mexican/Hispanic
population. Insignia/ESG recently negotiated a 103,000 sq.ft. lease on behalf of
Azteca Business Development Group, the ownership behind Mercado Azteca, the
first Mexican/Hispanic-owned retail mall in Dallas, TX. The deal represents the
first step in taking regional the locally successful Dallas Hispanic Business
Consortium’s Mercado Azteca concept.
The Dallas site, a former Kmart, is located at 9334 East R.L. Thornton Freeway,
also known as Interstate 30 at Buckner Boulevard, and is located near Mesquite,
TX. The mall, which opened in December, features more than 200
small-to-medium-sized businesses, a 10,000 sq.ft. bus terminal with Autobuses
Tornado as the primary tenant, a 6,000 sq.ft. special events center, five
restaurants, including El Huarache, Mariscolandia, Mr. Wongs and Enriques Cafe,
the 3,200 sq.ft. Republica Deportiva Sports Bar, which is a private club
featuring big-screen televisions, appearances by top Hispanic sports celebrities
and live Spanish radio broadcasts. The center also will have a Mercado Azteca
Auto Plex, an adjacent site for weekly automotive sales.
Just recently, another Hispanic restaurant opened in the Dallas area. Wingstop
Restaurants, Inc., which was named one of the thirty fastest-growing franchises
in the nation last year, recently opened its fourth Pizza Patron restaurant. The
chain features festive and fun carryout-only pizza stores that are
community-based in Spanish-speaking or predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods.
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