Are You There, Whole Foods? It's Me, Fort Worth

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There's been a lot of talk about what's going on at University Park Village, Fort Worth's best outdoor-shopping option (henceforth known as OSO), after the much-loved Barnes & Noble closed the book there earlier this week. Will a Sprinkles Cupcakes or a Michael Kors be in the offing? No one knows, just yet, but shift your attention across University Drive for a minute, where we'd like to contribute a sweet new rumor to the mill.

We bring you Exhibit A: The WestBend development (home to caloric strongholds Smashburger and Silver Fox Steakhouse) announced a few weeks ago that it has secured a 20,000-square-foot grocery store tenant at the development.

Exhibit B: A few months ago, at the opening of its new store in Addison, a Whole Foods representative confirmed to us that their long-held plans to open in a west Fort Worth Edwards Ranch parcel had gone kaput.

Exhibit A + B = Whole Foods to University? Let's scratch our collective DHA-fortified noggins for a sec. The Austin-based organic behemoth has never had a store in Fort Worth, so it's about dang time. And this location, along a major Cowtown artery and amid upscale retail, may just be the ticket.

· Grocery Store Headed to WestBend Shopping Center [Star-Telegram]
· University Park Village [Official Site]