Dallas suburb flexes as fittest city in Texas and more popular stories. Jul 25, 2026 | 10:00 am Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week includes shopping highs and lows and a flex from the fittest town in Texas. Read on for its most popular stories, then plan your weekend via this guide. 1. Dallas suburb flexes as No. 1 fittest city in Texas for 2026. The people of Plano deserve to take a victory lap. The Dallas-Fort Worth suburb has been crowned the fittest city in Texas once again. 2. Plano-based JCPenney to close 50-year-old store in North Texas. The longtime JCPenney store at Fort Worth's Ridgmar Mall will close this fall, the Plano-based retailer announced. 3. Goodwill transforms former Plano Walgreens into first small-format store. Leave it to Goodwill to find a second use for a former Walgreens. The nonprofit is transforming a vacant drugstore in Plano into its first-ever small-format store. 4. Dallas pizza purveyor Cane Rosso to open cocktail lounge in Frisco. An ice cream shop in Frisco is closing, to be replaced by a new bar. Cow Tipping Creamery closed in mid-July, but in its place will be a new cocktail lounge called The Imperial Room, coming in early September. 5. New relief fund launches for 2026 Texas Hill Country flood victims. The Community Foundation of the Hill Country has launched a new Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Fund that is accepting donations now. Featured Event Jul 31, 2026 | 8:00 pm Four Day Weekend Dallas This Week's Hot Headlines Texas' most scenic road trip beckons in this week's top Dallas stories. Jul 18, 2026 | 10:00 am Editor's note: The top Dallas news of the week includes three exciting debuts, one sad closure, and a scenic trip through the Texas Hill Country. Get the details on its most popular stories below, then plan the rest of your weekend right here. 1. Texas Hill Country route beckons as most scenic road trip in the U.S. A new guide from Condé Nast Traveler spotlighted 17 ultra-scenic road trip routes across the U.S. that are "worth every single mile" - including two through Texas. 2. New coastal Italian restaurant Scilla will transport Dallas to Calabria. Dallas is getting a taste of Italy's Calabrian coast. Scilla, a new coastal Italian restaurant inspired by the seaside village of the same name, debuted in the Park Cities on Friday, July 17. 3. Clara Hotel debuts in Plano with chef-driven dining and late-night lounge. The Clara Hotel has officially opened in Plano's Legacy Corridor with a chef-driven restaurant and chic new cocktail bar, which are part of a $4 million transformation of the former NYLO Dallas/Plano Hotel. 4. Deep Ellum cheese shop Amor y Queso reopens with expanded market. A beloved Deep Ellum cheese and charcuterie shop has reopened after a hiatus with an expanded concept. Amor y Queso is officially welcoming customers again. 5. Mom-and-pop Italian grocery in downtown Dallas closes after a year. A buzzy grocery store in downtown Dallas has closed. Ari's Pantry, the small local chain specializing in Italian groceries and to-go foods, has closed its location in the heart of the Central Business District. presented by

TruHeight joins Nordstrom and JCPenney marketplaces as wellness brands reshape the department store. Jul 21, 2026, 08:50 ET Family nutrition brand's newest retail partnerships reflect a broader shift: health and wellness products are becoming a staple of platforms once reserved for fashion and apparel LAS VEGAS, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - TruHeight, the family nutrition brand, today announced it is joining the Nordstrom Marketplace and the JCPenney Marketplace, bringing its lineup of clean-label vitamins, gummies, protein shakes, and everyday nutrition products to two of America's most iconic department store names. The partnerships place TruHeight at the center of one of retail's most notable shifts. Department stores and fashion-first marketplaces, long defined by clothing, shoes, and accessories, are rapidly expanding into health and wellness as consumers increasingly treat wellness as part of their everyday lifestyle rather than a separate shopping trip. For a generation of shoppers, the same platforms where they buy back-to-school outfits and activewear are becoming destinations for the products that fuel those activities. "Five years ago, you wouldn't expect to find a family nutrition brand next to denim and sneakers," said Justin Rapoport, Co-CEO of TruHeight. "Today, wellness is part of how families shop for everything. Nordstrom and JCPenney recognize that, and we're proud to bring family nutrition to their marketplaces." The move extends a period of rapid retail growth for TruHeight, which launched in 5,000 CVS stores nationwide in June following its national debut at Target earlier this year, and is also available at iHerb and on Amazon. With the addition of Nordstrom and JCPenney, TruHeight's products will reach shoppers across drug, mass, e-commerce, and department store channels. "Every retailer we add is a signal of the trust families place in our brand," said Eden Stelmach, Co-Founder of TruHeight. "Department stores are where families have shopped together for generations. Meeting them there with simple, clean nutrition products is a natural next step." TruHeight products will be available on the Nordstrom and JCPenney marketplaces in the coming weeks, joining the brand's existing availability at CVS, Target, iHerb, Amazon, and truheightvitamins.com. About TruHeight TruHeight is a family nutrition brand offering clean-label vitamins, gummies, protein shakes, and everyday nutrition products for kids, teens, and active families. Founded with a commitment to simple ingredients and convenient formats, TruHeight products are available at major retailers nationwide and online at truheightvitamins.com. SOURCE TruHeight Vitamins

Plano-based JCPenney to close 50-year-old store in North Texas. Jul 17, 2026 | 3:30 pm The JCPenney store at Fort Worth's Ridgmar Mall will close November 1, 2026, the Plano-based retailer says. "Regretfully, we are unable to continue our current lease terms for this store location and have been unable to find another suitable location in the market," JCPenney says in an emailed statement. Going-out-of-business sales have begun. JCPenney has been a fixture at Ridgmar since 1976. Dillard's remains open, but anchor tenants Neiman Marcus, Macy's, and Sears vacated the mall years ago. Tentative plans call for the 75-acre, 1.2 million-square-foot enclosed mall to be redeveloped as a mixed-use property. After JCPenney closes the Ridgmar location, 13 stores will be left in Dallas-Fort Worth, including the location at Fort Worth's Alliance Town Center. Other Fort Worth-area stores are in Arlington, Burleson, Hurst, and Weatherford. Nationwide, JCPenney operates roughly 640 stores but continues to shed locations. The current store count is down from a little over 1,000 in 2016. In 2025, JCPenney merged with SPARC Group to form Plano-based Catalyst Brands. Other retailers owned by Catalyst are Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand, and Nautica. Retail expert Robin Lewis has offered a blunt take on the Catalyst merger: "Bundling a group of loser brands in loser malls doesn't make for a winning formula." Weighed down by billions of dollars in debt and amid a sales decline, JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020 and later that year emerged from bankruptcy. Analysts generally say JCPenney has stabilized since then but note the retailer's turnaround isn't finished. Still, JCPenney seems to remain popular with shoppers. This year, USA Today's 10Best awards program named JCPenney the best department store chain in the country, based on input from shoppers and readers. "This recognition underscores JCPenney's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional value, quality, and service to shoppers across the country," JCPenney says in a news release about the No. 1 ranking. "Earning the most votes nationwide in a field of 20 retailers, this win is all about our customers. Their loyalty and love for JCPenney keep us at the top, and we're proud to deliver unbeatable value, style, and service every day." CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME Get Dallas intel delivered daily. TEXAS THREADS Shiner and Texas Standard toast Texas with new apparel collection. Jul 16, 2026 | 12:16 pm The limited-edition Texas Standard x Shiner collection blends performance apparel with classic Texas style. Photo courtesy of Texas Standard and Shiner A pair of Texas favorites are joining forces in fashion: Apparel brand Texas Standard and iconic brewery Shiner have launched a limited-edition capsule collection that celebrates the Lone Star State's unmistakable style, from tailgates to two-stepping. The new Texas Standard x Shiner collection is way more than a famous beer logo slapped on a t-shirt. This capsule collection was designed to fit in everywhere from dance halls and fishing trips to sports games and happy hours. Shiner has been brewing beer in Texas for more than a century, and this partnership acknowledges its heritage beyond what's in the bottle. For Texas Standard, known for modernizing Texas staples with performance fabrics, it was a chance to collaborate with one of the state's most recognizable brands. "Shiner and Texas Standard already speak the same Texan language, so everything about the collection is authentic, not forced," Joshua Brito, vice president of marketing and direct at Texas Standard, tells CultureMap. "We leaned on the iconic marks and imagery Shiner's built over 100-plus years, then layered in the same authentic Texas details that run through everything we make. One of our goals was to avoid a flat logo lockup merch drop. Every piece needed to be something someone's proud to wear, carrying what Shiner, Texas Standard, and Texas stand for." Inspired by more than a century of Shiner brewing tradition, the collaboration celebrates Texas heritage with apparel designed for everything from brewery patios to dance halls.Photo courtesy of Texas Standard and Shiner That attention to detail shows throughout the collection, which features graphic tees, a baseball cap, pearl snap shirts, and a reimagined version of Texas Standard's bestselling Guayabera Libre. Rather than oversized logos or novelty graphics, Shiner and Texas Standard focused on design details. The Guayabera Libre features breathable, moisture-wicking fabric with UPF 40. It includes hidden pockets, mesh venting, and a water-resistant finish. This technical fishing shirt, styled as a Texas classic, was made for both hanging out on a boat and at a backyard barbecue. While the Guayabera Libre shirt might steal the spotlight, it isn't the only standout. The Traditions Polo in Shiner Gold features hand-drawn illustrations inspired by Texas culture and Shiner's 100-plus-year history. The Western Traditions Polo incorporates pearl snaps and classic yoke styling with lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric, a signature of the Texas Standard. "We started with pieces that we already know resonate with our shared audience," said Brito. "The Guayabera Libre and pearl snap shirts we're known for include moisture-wicking, breathable fabric from the start, not added on. From there, the Texas flair came easy." The collection was designed as a standalone release and is expected to remain online through September on Shiner and Texas Standard's websites. Featured Event Jul 24, 2026 | 8:00 pm Four Day Weekend Dallas