L’Patricia women’s clothing store is renovating a new home in Longview Mall in part of the space previously occupied by Stage.
The new location is next door to where L’Patricia had been, with Patricia Lee saying the business decided it wanted to move when its 10-year lease ran out. Lee’s parents, Sang and Sam Lee, own and operate the store and one other in Grapevine, selling women’s clothing and accessories. Merchandise includes prom and bridesmaids dress, plus size clothing and city and casual wear.
Stage closed in 2020 after the company filed for bankruptcy amid the pandemic. The store’s Longview Mall space has been vacant since that time.
It is owned separately from the mall, with local Realtor Bill Graham of Sperry Commercial representing the retail space. He said L’Patricia is going in half of the former Stage store, with the remaining portion being divided into smaller spaces.
Lee said L’Patricia expects to open in January and will be hiring new sales associates.
Market offers shopping, activities
The new 80 Acre Market between Longview and Gilmer is closing out its first season this weekend, with plans to reopen Jan. 14-16.
This weekend’s market is holiday themed, with hours each weekend it’s open of 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Smallwoods family of companies includes a home décor business selling custom and standard home wall art produced in eight facilities around Longview. The company is building a new facility between Longview and Gilmer, near the 80 Acre Market at FM 12229 FM 1650, off U.S. 259, to bring its production and its more than 300 employees under one roof. The market is so named for the original 80 acres where the family built its home, although the property is much larger now.
Josh and Holly Smallwood and their five children no longer live in the stately, white two-story home. It was left as the home was but it’s now staged about twice a month with home décor and other items made by Smallwoods and vendors from around the world.
“This was their farmhouse,” said Ashley Nichols, chief of staff for Josh Smallwood, CEO of Smallwoods.
But retail sales is not the property’s only purpose, Nichols said.
“We do have a store. If you want to shop, great,” she said, as she walked through what was the family’s kitchen. It’s now where customers purchase their items at the 80 Acre Market.
Its purpose also was to provide a mostly free space where families can spend time together. Parking is free, and so is face painting and some other activities. Musical entertainment is provided outside, with the Market’s “No Name Food Truck” selling Philly cheese steak and other sandwiches or mac and cheese for children. The truck takes suggestions from customers about what to name the truck. Free face painting is offered, along with painting on canvas with a fee for the canvas.
Each room in the house is staged for retail sales, based on its original purpose. The master bathroom, for instance, highlights handmade soaps, laundry detergent and potpourri made on-site by a mother-daughter team employed by Smallwoods.
Nichols said plans are to continue expanding what’s available to families at the 80 Acre Market, including adding a pond and walking trail.
