Chocolate News

Luxury chocolatier shutters 3 Dallas-area stores, part of nationwide closure

Godiva's stores are closing, but it will still sell chocolate online.

The days of browsing the shelves at a Godiva store and contemplating all the delicious treats is coming to an end — at least in North America. The luxury chocolatier is shuttering all 128 of its brick-and-mortar outlets through a mixture of sales and closures by the end of the first quarter.

In a press release announcing the closures, the company cites the decline in sales during the coronavirus pandemic and the shift away from retail shopping as the reasons for its decision. These changes will not affect the company's locations in Europe, China, or the Middle East.

"Our brick and mortar locations in North America have had a clear purpose since we first opened our doors in this market — to provide an in-person experience for consumers to enjoy the world’s most exquisite chocolates," Godiva CEO Nurtac Afridi says in a statement. "We have always been focused on what our consumers need and how they want to experience our brand, which is why we have made this decision."

Godiva operates seven stores in Texas, including three in the DFW area, all located in malls, all of which will close:

Godiva North Park Center, Dallas
Godiva Stonebriar, Frisco
Godiva Hulen Mall, Fort Worth

The other four are in the Houston area: Galleria, Baybrook, Willowbrook, and the Houston Premium Outlets.

Godiva chocolates will continue to be available through other retails stores as well as its website.

"Of course, this decision was difficult because of the care we have for our dedicated and hardworking chocolatiers who will be impacted," Afridi said. "We are grateful for all they have done to make wonderful moments for our consumers and spread happiness through incredible customer service and living our values and behaviors."

Godiva's decision comes as a surprise. In 2019, the company opened its first cafe concept in New York City. At the time, it planned to open more than 2,000 cafes around the world that would serve dishes such as baked goods, cookies inspired by its chocolates, and the signature Croiffle, which is a buttery croissant pressed in a hot waffle iron.

The stores will remain open during Valentine's Day but are anticipated to close in March.

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Froze News

Foodie-centric Flamant restaurant in Plano closes doors after a year

Flamant

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Plano restaurant Flamant, which brought an ambitious foodie option to the Boardwalk at Granite Park, has closed. The chef-driven restaurant, located at 5880 SH-121 #103b, closed in mid-October; it been open for 16 months.

In a statement, owner Tanner Agar confirmed that the restaurant had closed, saying that he'd received an offer from another operator to take over the space.

"There are some people who wanted to buy out the space and we decided to let them," he said.

Agar and executive chef Taylor Rause opened Flamant with great fanfare in June 2025 as a European live fire cocktail bar and bistro — a sibling to Rye and Apothecary, the two concepts they owned on Greenville Avenue. The duo had earned multiple accolades, including a "Recommended" status in the 2024 Michelin Guide Texas.

Flamant's menu was rooted in the culinary traditions of Portugal, Spain, France, and Italy, with food cooked over an open flame — allowing Agar to revisit his time working in both Spain and France as a young chef. It also represented a return to the northern suburbs, where the duo had previously operated a restaurant in McKinney.

Featured dishes included a vegan "faux gras," pasta, wood-fired Wagyu burger, and pepperoncini chicken. True to form, its bar menu was superb with knockout cocktails that included two irresistible frozen drinks: the Frozérosé with Ilegal mezcal, coconut, and strawberry, and a soft-serve margarita with Patrón blanco, grilled pineapple soft serve, and lime.

They also hosted an unusual "resort-style" all you-can-eat weekend brunch, served not from a buffet, but directly to your table, with options such as hashbrowns with smashed avocado, shakshuka, and cannoli French toast.

Agar has never been afraid to follow his muse even if it meant disrupting an established presence such as the one they developed with Rye.

The chef-driven concept debuted in McKinney in 2015, followed by a second location on Greenville Avenue in 2021. (The McKinney location closed in 2022 after its building was extensively damaged in a fire.)

Rye became known for its innovative tasting menu, and in 2024 earned recognition from the Michelin Guide, which praised its “genuine hospitality” and “unrestrained” cuisine.

Despite the acclaim, they closed Rye in early 2026, giving over the space to Apothecary, their adjacent bar. In March 2026, they shape-shifted Apothecary into a dual-bar concept under two names, Apothecary and Alchemy, which by the way is about to debut a new menu.

As for the Flamant space, Agar says he can't talk about what's next but that the new owners will soon announce their plans.

"Right now, I'm focused on Apothecary and my show Flavorphiles," he says, referring to a podcast and radio show that he launched in 2025 with radio personality (and his father) Jerry Agar, "where food, drinks, culture and lifestyle collide." It currently airs on several iHeart radio stations in Canada and is growing to more markets, he says.

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Alex Bentley contributed to this story.

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