When The Shops at Legacy opened in 2002, people in Collin and Dallas counties would drive out just to look at it. Upscale, chic and walkable, The Shops at Legacy was the place to be.
Fast-forward to now. The Shops at Legacy still has excellent shops and restaurants, but increasingly, the vacancies are noticeable. In 2024 alone, Craft and Vine, the Angelika Film Center and Toasted Coffee and Kitchen closed their doors. Sure, stuff has moved in — truly excellent stuff like Truluck’s, which moved into Jasper’s old locale. And more is coming. The Shops at Legacy are being revitalized through new additions.
What’s Coming To Legacy North
While several vacant buildings remain, it may not be for long. According to The Dallas Morning News, several new businesses have signed leases at Legacy North, potentially revitalizing its the area. Among the newcomers are Le Beef Steak & Frites, Lelo’s Coffee Co., Wagyu House and Legacy Social Club.
- Le Beef Steak & Frites, a 2,670-square-foot fine dining restaurant, will bring the classic French steak and frites experience to the area. Created by the same team behind Bavette Grill and EG Steak, it is set to open in the spring of 2025.
- Lelo’s Coffee Co., a McKinney-based craft coffee company, will open a 1,079-square-foot space at Legacy North in the summer of 2025, offering locally inspired brews for coffee lovers.
- Wagyu House, a 6,844-square-foot Japanese-style barbecue restaurant specializing in all-you-can-eat Wagyu beef, will make its Dallas-area debut at Legacy North. The restaurant will open in the winter of 2025, with pricing starting at $55 per person at its Atlanta location.
- Legacy Social Club, a luxurious 19,154-square-foot private, members-only meeting space, will open its doors in mid-to-late 2025.
Local Profile reached out to Legacy North’s owners, CTO Realty Growth, for comment. This story will be updated pending response.
There have already been promising signs at Legacy North. Mic Drop Comedy hosted a grand opening event on Jan. 15, 2025, marking the completion of a month-long renovation. Previously known as Plano House of Comedy, the venue was acquired by Mic Drop Comedy in early December 2024.
Why This Matters
The Shops at Legacy aren’t only home to townhouse residents but home to tech companies or close them, including giants like Intuit. The vibrant Shops at Legacy continue to make the area attractive to corporations looking to move to — or, more importantly, stay in — Plano. Revitalization is key.
How The Shops At Legacy Changed Plano Shopping
In the late 20th century, upscale shopping meant Preston Park Village off Preston Road and Park, whether at Culwell & Son or across to Borders. A decade earlier, the land had been a soccer field. Downtown Plano was not yet revitalized, and shopping meant strip malls. The Shops at Legacy changed that with walkable shops, restaurants, townhomes and even a hotel.
Developer Fehmi Karahan was determined to create something special. More than two decades later, The Shops at Legacy, spanning 168 acres, is still continuing to evolve, maybe even becoming better than ever. The Shops initially focused on dining and nightlife, with iconic spots like Jasper’s — now in Richardson — attracting a vibrant social scene. A few years after the first phase, a second phase was developed north of Legacy Drive and east of Baccus Cemetery, with its first tenants opening in 2006. This area is now known as The Shops at Legacy East, as designated by current owners Kite Realty.
In 2007, the third phase, Legacy North, was developed across the Dallas North Tollway, offering a quieter, upscale ambiance compared to the livelier Shops at Legacy. That same year, Karahan sold The Shops at Legacy East to Chicago-based Inland Realty. In 2013, Investco acquired the development from Karahan, who retained a minority stake.
The area continued to grow on the other side of the Dallas North Tollway with the opening of Legacy West in 2017, which expanded the northern side into a dynamic, mixed-use hub, housing major corporate headquarters like Toyota North America and Boeing Global Services. Legacy West became Karahan’s fully realized vision of mixed-use retail, business and living development — a vision he hopes to improve upon for the upcoming Fields West.
Revitalization Is Needed For The Shops
However, as Legacy West drew more attention (and customers), The Shops at Legacy faced challenges. Several beloved businesses, including Jasper’s and Nicola’s Ristorante, either moved or closed. In 2021, the development was sold to Florida-based CTO Realty Growth for $72.5 million, marking a significant shift. But according to Karahan, change was inevitable to keep the area relevant and thriving.
“It's also an ownership mentality for the new owners to adopt,” Karahan previously told Local Profile. “Sometimes things end up with public companies and public real estate investment funds, and they don't necessarily invest the capital to keep them refreshed. The sidewalks get broken, buildings' color changes. You have to go out there and invest the money to do the upkeep.”
The Shops at Legacy aren’t struggling by any means. Compared to other shopping areas, it is doing quite well. But the standard is no longer “other shopping malls.” It’s Legacy West, right across the way — and then, once it opens, Fields West will undoubtedly set a new, and higher, standard.
With the upcoming Shops at Legacy additions we know about (and maybe even the ones we don’t), there is optimism. At any development, there are ups and downs periods, and smooth patches. As long as more than simply a desire to improve, results will follow.
“The Shops at Legacy now is trying to change,” Karahan previously said. “There's recently been a lot of improvements.” May those improvements continue.
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