Rock Star Shopping

East Dallas’ favorite new lounge sprouts shop with rock-and-roll roots

The Good Pagoda is now open next to Lounge Here in East Dallas.

Photo courtesy of Good Pagoda

There's a cool new shop with a rock-and-roll legacy open in East Dallas. Called The Good Pagoda, it's located at 9026 Garland Rd. — right next door to its equally glorious sibling Lounge Here.

The shop offers an arty mix of gifts, jewelry, accessories, home décor, natural skin care, art, baby and kid apparel, toys, vinyl, and more. That includes items from local artists and artisans, with items that are unique and yet offer broad appeal.

The Good Pagoda comes from the same uber-creative group of friends and visionaries behind Dallas' iconic Good Records and international symphonic pop band the Polyphonic Spree. Owners are Julie Doyle, who opened Here Lounge in September; Tim DeLaughter, frontman for Polyphonic Spree; Chris Penn, who co-owns Good Records with Doyle and DeLaughter; Jennifer Penn, former Polyphonic lead female vocalist and a retail veteran; and Polyphonic choir member Cassie Askin.

The team brings individual artistic design and merchandising sensibilities together with the mission of creating a neighborhood amenity that offers inspiring yet convenient shopping: a place to browse, or to dash in for a gift.

Its proximity to Lounge Here also makes for a handy 2-for-1 experience: You drink and a snack at Lounge Here, then shop at the Good Pagoda.

There are tabletop sculptures from Nick Earl, paintings from William "Bubba" Flint, Good Hippie skin care, Copperphone microphones from Placid Audio's Mark Pirro, Little Superhero capes by Alicia Moore, jewelry from Three Bishops, home décor from NickNat, original album cover series art by Clay Stinnett, and prints/paintings from Napkin Art Studios mastermind Jonathon Kimbrell.

A selection of vinyl is a "greatest hits" collection of the most popular discs from Good Records, as well as new releases as they come out each week.

The Good Pagoda will also feature a selection of pop culture and music book titles, iconic music shirts, and DVDs including Wee See from NYC artist Rolyn Barthelman, a hybrid of fine art and children's animation with a score by Tim DeLaughter.

Doyle says the goal is to keep improving the appeal of the neighborhood, and provide a place for people in the neighborhood who are craving the opportunity to buy things that are handmade and interesting.

"They now have somewhere right in their own backyard," she says. "We are hoping to inspire more small businesses to come to East Dallas and create the kind of transformation that happened in Bishop Arts."

Jennifer Penn says that it's more than a mere retail store and will have a neighborhood feel. "It's most likely a place where you will bump into someone you know," she says.

The funky, industrial decor has the same careful attention to design as Lounge Here, including the incorporation of the original disco ball from the iconic, recently closed White Rock Skate Center. Fixtures range from colorful vintage lockers where a selection of t-shirts is displayed, to pieces that have been salvaged from North Dallas' Valley View Mall, used to showcase planters, coasters, candles, and clothing.

A wooden reproduction of a vintage camper, created by Kelly Lee Lefkowitz, acts as the entryway to the children's and toy sections. Handmade, minimalist fixtures from Dallas artist Nick Earl and a wooden feature arch by DeLaughter add to the artisanal vibe.

Store hours are Monday-Thursday 10 am-8 pm, Friday-Saturday 10 am-10 pm, and Sunday, 12-6 pm. The store will celebrate its official opening with a New Year's Day event, in concert with Here Lounge and with The Super Yoga Palace upstairs, which is also now open. serving music, wine, champagne, snacks, and bloody Marys.

music shopping

Swedish meatballs are coming

Furniture fave IKEA reveals grand opening date for Rockwall store

IKEA

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The newest IKEA store in Dallas-Fort Worth is ready to open its doors: IKEA Rockwall, located at 1801 E. Interstate 30, will debut on Wednesday, May 13.

According to a release, the Swedish-born furniture company will say hallå to Rockwall with some fanfare on May 13, beginning with giveaways, coffee, and cinnamon buns at 7 am, followed by remarks from VIPs at 9:45 am. Customers can line up as early as 7 am and doors will open to customers starting at 10 am.

Ikea is the world's largest furniture retailer, founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, and known for its simple, modern approach to interior design at an affordable price, its ready-to-assemble furniture, and its amusement-park-like stores.

Ikea Rockwall will be the anchor in a 65-plus acre mixed-use development with a location chosen for its accessibility not only to the east side of DFW but also to major highways that connect to faraway cities like Texarkana and Little Rock.

According to a release, the store represents Ikea's intention to become more accessible, affordable, and convenient for the many here in the U.S., and the store will offer a new way of reaching customers both in-store and digitally.

“Opening IKEA Rockwall is a big moment for us, not only because it’s our ninth store in Texas, but because it’s our first ground-up build since 2019,” says Rob Olson, interim CEO of IKEA U.S., in the release. “This milestone underscores our confidence in the future of this market and in our mission to create better everyday life at home through affordable, well-designed solutions.”

The store's footprint is 108,000 square feet — almost a third smaller than the behemoth locations in Frisco and Grand Prairie, which both span 293,000-plus square feet — and more on par with the new IKEA Dallas - University Park store that opened in Dallas in March.

The single-level Rockwall store features over 6,000 products and dozens of fully furnished room settings, with more than 3,800 items ready for immediate takeaway, the release says. In a "central planning area," customers can receive personalized design consultations from IKEA experts for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and small spaces.

And yes, there will be the famous Swedish meatballs. The new store will include a Swedish Bistro, serving customer favorites like meatballs, plant balls, hot dogs, and veggie dogs.

Additionally, Ikea Rockwall’s design will include features for improved sustainability, specifically solar power, LEED certified construction, EV chargers, onsite recycling and native plant materials to reduce water consumption.

An "as-is section" will offer gently used and discontinued items at discounted prices, "giving products a second life and helping customers furnish their homes more sustainably and affordably," they say.

“We’re proud to open IKEA Rockwall as a reflection of our commitment to the community it serves,” says Ben Sandoval, market manager, IKEA U.S. “Our goal is to be a trusted partner for local families by offering well-designed, affordable solutions that support everyday life at home.”

As part of its goal of being a good neighbor, IKEA Rockwall will donate $10,000 to the Children's Advocacy Center for Rockwall County at the grand opening. (Store hours on May 13 will be 10 am-8 pm.)

Once IKEA Rockwall debuts, it will be open 10 am-9 pm Monday-Saturday and 10 am-8 pm Sunday.

rockwall openings ikea