Sweet Things

New gelato and candy shops sweeten the lineup at Dallas' Victory Park

Sweet things are headed for Victory Park.

Photo courtesy of It'sugar

If you're a sweets fiend, Victory Park has two new concepts that'll be right up your alley. One does ice cream, the other does candy.

Popbar is known for gelato-on-a-stick and other frozen treats. It'sugar is a candy emporium specializing in sweets, novelty gifts, and giant candy.

Popbar will open a 690-square-foot location in June at 2420 Victory Park Ln. They serve gelato, sorbetto, and yogurt in a new way: on a stick. Because nobody has ever heard of this "stick" thing before. The menu includes 40+ rotating flavors, along with dippings and toppings, which allow for customizable flavor combinations.

The pops are made on-site daily in small batches of 26 popbars at a time. They also make unique treats such as frozen hot chocolate on a stick.

It'sugar will open a 2,644-square-foot location in late April at 2401 Victory Park Ln. It'sugar was founded by candy veteran Jeff Rubin in 2006, and claims to have become the largest specialty candy retailer in the world, with more than 100 locations in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Chicago.

They're known for their absurd sugar innovations. They're also known for having what has to be the most punctuationally-challenged name in the world. That apostrophe masking as a space is an eyesore, nothing less. What is wrong with just calling yourself "It's Sugar"? Nope. Gotta have the special apostrophe.

Making matters worse, they also like to put their name in all caps, a la "IT'SUGAR". Sorry, we are not having that here on CultureMap, no all caps for you.

The two new sweets purveyors are part of a Victory Park redevelopment led by retail partner Trademark Property Co. and owner Estein USA.

Trademark CEO Terry Montesi says in a release that they're thrilled at the momentum.

"It's gratifying to see our intense redevelopment efforts continue to pay off with commitments from best-in-class local F&B and retail operators, which will help transform Victory into one of the most vibrant, walkable retail and entertainment districts in the city," he says.

The property will welcome 10 new concepts including a flagship Mesero; Imoto, an Asian kitchen and bar from Tracy Rathbun; wine bar Burgundy Swine; a restaurant by This & That (High Fives, The Standard Pour); and a bar by Brooke Humphries (Barcadia, Beauty Bar, Pints & Quarts).

There will also be a 24,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment concept in Victory Plaza by Humphries and Elias Pope’s 8020 Hospitality (the team behind HG Sply Co.); and two unique concepts by Rebees, led by Dallas entrepreneur Tristan Simon that include a modern Texas saloon and a workspace with a café.

New retail tenants include Yoga Pod and Sweet Tooth Hotel, an experiential art and retail pop-up that will be open from May-June.

Other openings in the coming months include Luxe Dental, Orangetheory Fitness, Cinépolis Luxury Cinemas-Victory Park, and The 23, a new 285-unit mixed-use apartment community by LMC. Additional parking and a state-of-the-art valet program, as well as lighting and technology upgrades, will also roll out in early 2018.

A public art program that recently debuted includes a musically-inspired sculpture by Las Vegas-based artist Tim Bavington near the W Dallas – Victory Hotel, five vibrant garage murals by local artist Lesli Marshall, an eight-foot steel sculpture in the "Victory-sign" hand gesture by California-based artist Nathan Mabry, with additional pieces rolling out in the coming months.

desserts downtown

Coffee News

French cafe from New York to open at buzzy Dallas center near Lakewood

Maman

Lemon meringue tarts from Maman.

A French cafe chain from New York is bringing its ritzy fare to a buzzy intersection in East Dallas: Maman, a celebrated spot with coffee and brand-name pastries, will open a location in Hillside Village, at 6465 Mockingbird Ln. #316, at the address previously occupied by Palmer's Hot Chicken.

Signage is already up in the space. According to a spokesperson, renovations are underway, with a targeted opening date of early fall.

Famous for its pale blue-and-white toile decor and Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookies, Maman was founded in Soho in 2014 by partners Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte, and has expanded across the U.S, with locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Canada.

They made their Texas debut in November 2025 when they opened a location in the Plaza at Preston Center. There are also plans for another location in Frisco at the new Fields West mixed-use center, as well as a location in Casa Linda Plaza. Still more locations are said to be in the works.

At the favorably situated Hillside Village, they'll be joining tenants such as Sprouts, SusieCakes, and Sephora. The center has undergone an overhaul in the past decade with the addition of new tenants, starting when Sprouts took over the former Stein Mart.

Palmer's was there for five years; they opened in 2020, part of a then-wave of hot chicken places, before exiting the premises in January 2026. A permitting notice for Maman was posted the same week.

Maman will update the space, installing their signature interior touches to create a cozy, European garden atmosphere. They boast a French provincial aesthetic with vintage furniture, wood floors, imported tiles, and signature blue toile that extends to the custom espresso machine.

The cafe will be open during daylight hours with coffee, breakfast and lunch: espresso drinks, tea, and pastries such as croissants, kouign maman, Bundt cakes, tea cakes, and cookies. Heartier breakfast and lunch items include quiche, a breakfast bowl (with potatoes, arugula, bacon, caramelized onions, avocado, and egg), chicken Caesar wrap, and Mediterranean steak sandwich.

Their drinks can be elaborate with rarefied ingredients; for example, a vanilla honey butter latte with sweet corn foam & cornbread crumbs, or a salted tahini honeycomb latte. They also partner up on brand collaborations with food & beverage names such as Martha Stewart.

coffee openings desserts breakfast