Excited Crowd Greets American Girl Store Opening in Dallas
By Stella M. Chavez, The Dallas Morning News
Nov. 4–Waking up before the crack of dawn is not a typical weekend routine for Laura Hatten and her 8-year-old daughter, Genesis.
But then Saturday was not a normal day for thousands of moms and daughters who arrived hours — and in some cases, days — before the grand opening of American Girl Boutique and Bistro at the Galleria Dallas.
Ms. Hatten and Genesis left their San Antonio home at 4 a.m. to make the store’s 9 a.m. opening.
“It is crazy,” said Ms. Hatten, as she sorted through a pile of purple American Girl T-shirts. “My husband and her brother are on a Boy Scouts campout.”
In fact, few fathers or brothers were spotted in the 22,000-square-foot store. Most girls came with their moms. Others came with grandma, an aunt or a friend’s parent.
Many visitors like the Hattens drove for hours to get there. Others flew. Some girls came from as far away as Virginia.
The store, which also has locations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta, sells high-end dolls, doll clothing and accessories. Girls can buy matching outfits or have their dolls’ hair done. There is also the Bistro described by one employee as “girl-friendly but a little bit sophisticated.” Menu items include cheddar fondue, chicken pesto panini and raspberry peach parfait.
The dolls are not typical, either. Most come with their own historical bio. There is Addy, who escapes with her family from a plantation in 1864. Josefina, a girl raised by an aunt on her family’s New Mexico ranch in 1824. Julie is a 1970s girl, coping with her parents’ divorce in San Francisco.
Like most girls there, Genesis could hardly contain her excitement. And like many, she brought her doll, Addy, with her.
“Let’s go upstairs, Mom,” she said urgently. “Let’s go see what’s upstairs.”
Upstairs, customers waited in line to reserve a table in the Bistro, many hoping to get in sometime this week, if not this weekend. Already, the Bistro is nearly booked through the end of the year for weekend birthday parties.
Aparna and Priyanka Reddy said they flew in from Midland on Friday. Mother and daughter arrived at the store an hour before the doors opened.
Priyanka, 7, said she wanted to buy the grand piano for her doll, Nicki, this year’s “Girl of the Year.”
Ms. Reddy, who has visited the American Girl stores in Chicago and Los Angeles, described the experience with her daughter as crazy but exciting.
“We are reliving our childhood,” she said, as she stood in line for the Bistro.
Some die-hard customers went out of their way to make sure they were the first ones in the store.
Maddison Breakie, 11, camped out in a tent for two days with her cousins. The group of girls donned purple T-shirts and white cowboy hats.
First in line, they were asked to cut the red ribbon on the store’s entrance.
Wade Opland, the store’s vice president of retail, asked the long line of anxious kids, “So, do you think you’ll remember this for the rest of your life?”
“Yes,” they yelled back.
Indeed, many described the opening as a big deal. By late morning, dozens of customers were still waiting to get in. The projected wait: about an hour.
Mr. Opland said the store holds between 650 and 700 people, but only about 550 to 600 customers were allowed inside at one time. He said he didn’t want shoppers to feel too cramped.
The crowds didn’t seem to bother Maddison, who got a preview of the store by attending Friday night’s private party. Her grandmother and great-aunt surprised her.
She said she liked the jewelry and clothes and that the dolls played different sports. She planned to buy two outfits for her dolls.
“This is my birthday and Christmas present,” she said.
Sarah Williams, 11, said she brought her three dolls — Molly, Samantha and Felicity — so they could have their hair done. She got hooked after reading the books.
“I like the stories,” she said.
At the doll hair salon, Jill Edwards waited patiently with her granddaughter, Isabella Grace, 6, as she watched her doll get a new hairdo.
“It’s such a fantasy for these little girls,” she said. “This is what being a little girl is all about.”
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