Thanks Sam

Walmart gifts Dallas' Greenville Avenue with new Sam's Club concept

Dallas is so lucky to get this exciting new gift.

Photo courtesy of Sam's

After nearly three years as the missing front tooth on the landscape of Greenville Avenue, the space that was Formerly Whole Foods Market has a new tenant: It will become an innovative newfangled grocery concept from Walmart called Sam's Club Now.

Jamie Iannone, CEO of SamsClub.com, calls the new store "the epicenter of innovation for Sam's Club."

"There won’t be another club like it," Iannone says. "It will be a mobile-first shopping experience powered by the new Sam's Club Now app. At its core, Sam's Club Now will be a technology lab that doubles as a live, retail club. It’s where we will incubate, test, and refine technologies to help define the future of retail."

The store's arrival was originally teased in June. "We know this site has been a subject of conversation over the years, and we are committed to being a good neighbor," Iannone said.

A good neighbor might've given up the space to another business after shutting down the Walmart neighborhood store in 2016, instead of letting it sit vacant for nearly three years.

The Verge describes the new store as "the latest move in Amazon and Walmart's ongoing war for retail supremacy in the U.S.," since it competes directly with Amazon's new Go stores.

The entire store will be like a self-serve cashier, with customers using the app to scan items as they shop. A staff member then gives the order a final onceover.

"Our associates are key to bringing this experience to life, which is why we're introducing a new role called the Member Host," Iannone says. "Think of these associates as the concierge of the club. We'll empower them with new technology that will allow them to serve members better and faster."

Customer usage of the app will be monitored by Sam's Club for research. So you're helping Sam's — that should earn a discount. "This will be an interactive experience and they’ll help us test and refine new features before we launch them nationally," Iannone says.

At 32,000 square feet, the store is about a quarter the size of an average Sam's Club. Features include:

Smart shopping lists. The company has developed technology that combines machine learning and purchase data to auto-fill a member's shopping list. You can add or remove things, and as items are scanned, the list automatically updates and moves the item to your mobile basket.

Wayfinding and navigation. Using voice search capabilities combined with new wayfinding and navigation features, a map will pop up to show where the item is. "Eventually, we'll be able to use beacon technology and a member's smart shopping list to map the best route through the club," Iannone says.

Augmented reality. This includes sharing ways to use products, cool features, and sourcing.

One-hour club pickup: Using the app, members can place and pickup an order within the hour.

Electronic shelf labels. These will be a test item that will instantly update prices, removing the need to print and replace new item price signs.

The store will also be equipped with more than 700 cameras which they say is to help manage inventory in new ways and optimize the layout to make shopping effortless.

"We’re putting Sam’s Club on the cutting edge of innovation in the warehouse channel," Iannone says. "Using all available technologies – including computer vision, AR, machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, just to name a few – we will redefine the retail experience today and into the future."

supermarkets greenville-avenue technology

Bar News

Rodeo Dallas bar takes party to Uptown Dallas at new location

Rodeo

Rodeo bar is open in Uptown

A bar with Deep Ellum roots is expanding to Uptown Dallas: Called Rodeo Dallas, it'll open at 2922 N. Hall St. in the space previously occupied by Palms Bar. According to co-owner Joseph "JD" Ybanez, it'll open on November 28.

The first Rodeo location in Dallas opened in 2023 at 2724 Elm St. from Ybanez and partner Josh Reagan, a pair of hospitality veterans whose prior venues include Longshots in Dallas, plus two locations of Varsity Tavern, in Fort Worth and in Tempe.

Ybanez' first bar was Trophy Ranch in Fort Worth which had a mechanical bull. "That's where I learned how popular it was," he says. (He also became familiar with Fort Worth's bar scene and went on to open a Rodeo spinoff in Fort Worth's West Seventh district in 2024.)

In August 2025, the Deep Ellum location became the focal point of neighborhood concerns about crime and was closed via an order from the Dallas city attorney. Ybanez says the city is scapegoating Rodeo for other problems in the neighborhood, and that the Deep Ellum location isn't going anywhere.

“This is not a relocation,” he says. “We maintain an ongoing legal dispute with our landlord Asana Partners regarding the re-opening of our Deep Ellum establishment. The Uptown location represents an expansion of the brand.”

Prior to opening Rodeo in Deep Ellum, they opened a predecessor in Tempe in 2018, called Rodeo Ranch. It served as a template for the concept, with an "adult playground" with mechanical bull, bottle service, girls in bikinis, DJs, dancing, and light show.

According to Ybanez, visitors to the Uptown location can expect to take these factors to the next level.

“The Uptown space offers an expansive back patio,” Ybanez says. “This area will feature a massive video wall, optimizing it for communal sports viewing. Furthermore, we have executed a comprehensive refinement of our food menu, which we are confident will elevate the guest experience."

The menu is rendered by Donde Los Tacos, the highly regarded Mexican taqueria in Oak Clifff, with $3 and $4 tacos, like trompo, barbacoa, and suadero. The Uptown location will also serve brunch with dishes such as chilaquiles.

"We have meticulously preserved the core of the Rodeo experience: the unparalleled atmosphere and vibes, our commitment to genuine hospitality, the homegrown character of the brand, and the inclusive spirit that welcomes every member of the community," Ybanez says.

uptown openings