Sundance Square Goes Mainstream
Ferre in Sundance Square closes to make room for Cheesecake Factory
The makeover of Fort Worth's Sundance Square continues, this time with a surprising new restaurant: Cheesecake Factory will open at 215 E. Fourth St., across from Bass Performance Hall, in part of the former Barnes & Noble space.
"The Cheesecake Factory is a well-known brand with a loyal fan base that local residents and visitors alike will enjoy," said Sundance Square president and CEO Johnny Campbell in a release. "This space is truly unique and very high-profile."
The Cheesecake Factory will not only take over the bookstore, which closed in 2013 after 17 years in downtown Fort Worth, but also the space currently occupied by Ferre, the Italian restaurant that has been there since 2006.
Ferre opened in what was the former Angeluna space, as a spinoff of the original Ferre in Dallas' West Village, which is now closed. Ferre owner Patrick Colombo told the Star Telegram that the Fort Worth branch never drew enough business outside of major events at Bass Hall; it closes June 1.
A Cheesecake Factory spokesperson said the new Fort Worth location would open later in 2014. The entrance will be at the corner of Fourth and Commerce. In addition to an approximately 8,700-square-foot dining room, the restaurant will also have a 900-square-foot patio that runs along Fourth, across from Bass Hall.
There are five Cheesecake Factory branches around the area, in Dallas, Frisco, Allen, Arlington and Southlake.
"The Cheesecake Factory is one of the highest volume restaurant concepts in the United States," said Campbell, adding that several national retailers have expressed interest in the complex.
Other recent openings in Sundance Square include Bird Cafe, Little Red Wasp, Del Frisco's Grille and Taco Diner.
