The blue dot stuck on the window of West Elm’s Highland Village furniture gallery announces the store’s plans to decamp from its spot below and next to RA Sushi, near the eastern side of the shopping center on January 21. Both West Elm and RA Sushi’s only other Houston locations are at CityCentre. That West Elm location opened in 2015, while the current spot at 3922 Westheimer has been in business for over 9 years.
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Photos: RA Sushi (corner of Highland Village); Swamplot inbox (storefront and sign)
Furniture Move-Out
Off topic, but I used to work for the architect who did the drawings for Ra Sushi. Great guy!
Dang, I loved that store. Anyone know why they’re closing? Business down? Lease up?
Too crazy expensive, maybe?
Lease is up and landlord wanted a 30% increase in rent. They are not the only ones leaving Highland Village.
Quatrine already left and two more stores in that section will be leaving as well.
Victoria’s Secret, Lucy, Joseph, West Elm, Quatrine and Kate Spade have all left Highland Village. My guess is that Johnny Was, L’Occitane, and Splendid will be next. I wonder how much of the closures are related to the shift to online shopping, how much is due to rent increases, and /or how much is related to the horrid parking in HV? When I have to valet to return something at Banana Republic, something’s wrong. It’s easier to drive to Town & Country, really.
I actually heard that it’s the landlord not wanting to renew the leases and wants to change a lot of the lots to more of a corporate space. Victoria Secret left and I heard that Crate and Barrel might as well. Terrible news!!
I could see Highland Village’s days as a high-end retail area outnumbered. You have the Galleria expansion, the River Oaks district, and now the Westheimer/Kirby area being developed.