Camp Bowie District Inc.
2020 has been both a curse and a blessing for the Camp Bowie district. The curse — COVID-19. The blessing — perhaps one of the biggest growth spurts the six-mile corridor has seen in recent years.
At least 15 new businesses opened along or adjacent to Camp Bowie Boulevard this year, from Japanese restaurant Kintaro to Western accessories shop Chieffalo Americana. Meanwhile, some existing businesses decided it was time for a redo — boutiques Hale House and Esther Penn underwent remodeling, while longtime establishment Kite’s Custom Cleaners saw a major renovation of its exterior facade.
Camp Bowie District Inc.
There’s more coming down the pipeline in 2021, from the opening of the renovated Roy Pope grocery store to Grow Plant Shop opening its first brick-and-mortar in the former Enchanted Florist space.
District board member and real estate developer Mark Harris believes the area is currently undergoing a renaissance.
“The evolution of retail is going micro,” Harris says. “[Smaller retailers] can come in, specialize, and make more money per square foot here than a lot of other areas, and in turn, they’re able to pay larger rents to landlords, landlords can improve the buildings, and everybody’s happy.”
Outside business, nonprofit Camp Bowie District Inc. has been working to improve the neighborhood in general, from increasing garbage pickup to planting more trees. At press time, the district was at the cusp of launching a beautification project funded by a $400,000 grant from the Green Ribbon Fund administered by the Texas Department of Transportation. The project, which will take place along the 6700 – 7000 blocks of Camp Bowie Boulevard, will replace sod with a healthy mix of drought-resistant plants and native grasses, all of which will be irrigated and maintained by Camp Bowie District.
But the district wants to do more to “effectuate change that’s beneficial to the property owners beyond just planting more plants,” says Camp Bowie District president Wade Chappell. The district is increasing marketing efforts, unveiling a new logo this year and doubling down on promoting businesses through social media and video content. The district is also doing research on the area’s consumer behavior for a new economic development plan.
“Camp Bowie is uniquely Fort Worth. There is no other boulevard or street like it in the city,” Chappell says. “It’s economic staying power is proving resilient right now, where you have more and more new shops. Yes, we’re losing some, but we’re gaining brand-new businesses that are materializing out of the pandemic.”
Opened in 2020:
Read’s Jewelers, 4696 Camp Bowie Blvd., readsjewelers.com
Vantage Bank, 4520 Camp Bowie Blvd., vantage.bank
Shop Prippie (women’s clothing), 4829 Camp Bowie Blvd., shopprippie.com
Chieffalo Americana (hats and accessories), 4698 Camp Bowie Blvd., chieffaloamericana.com
FiVi’s Kitchen, 5724 Locke Ave., fiviskitchen.com
Lazy Daisy Coffee, 6475 Camp Bowie Blvd., lazydaisycoffee.com
Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet, 6357 Camp Bowie Blvd., dimassis.com
Zen Hot Yoga, 6115 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 174, zenhotyogafw.com
KickHouse (kickboxing studio, formerly I Love Kickboxing), 6333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Ste. 245, kickhousefortworth.com
Kintaro (Japanese restaurant), 6916 Camp Bowie Blvd., kintaroramen.kitchen
Wild Acre Camp Bowie, 6473 Camp Bowie Blvd., wildacrebrewing.com
The Meat Board (deli and butcher shop), 6314 Camp Bowie Blvd., themeatboard.com
Chicken Salad Chick, 6124 Camp Bowie Blvd., chickensaladchick.com
Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, 6120 Camp Bowie Blvd., buttermilkskypie.com
Notch Beauty Bar Boutique, 3909 Camp Bowie Blvd.
Opening in 2021:
Studio 74 Vintage (vintage clothing store), 4908 Camp Bowie Blvd., facebook.com/Studio74Vintage
B Kids (children’s clothing), 3913 Camp Bowie Blvd. bkidsboutique.com/stores
Roy Pope, 2300 Merrick St., facebook.com/roypopegrocery
Briggs on the Bricks (Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty office), 4828 Camp Bowie Blvd., briggsfreeman.com/offices/cultural-district.asp
Grow Plant Shop, 4800 Camp Bowie Blvd., growplantshop.com
Bowie House Hotel, northeast corner of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Dorothy Lane
