Inwood Village's New Tenants Take Their Cue From Its Oldest One

"So many people comment that they grew up going to the movies at Inwood Theatre," Christine Mullis told The Dallas Morning News in July. Mullis manages Inwood Village for L&B Realty Advisors. That line fits the center's whole year. In 2026 Inwood Village kept its oldest tenant and filled the storefronts around it with brands that trade on their own history, from salvage-rooted lighting and sporting heritage to a 2027 dinner room modeled on old East Coast neighborhood places.

So a holiday afternoon on West Lovers Lane this year feels different from a mall stop. The new stores are working with the oldest name on the property.

The theater was kept on purpose

The Inwood Theatre opened in 1947. Since then, The Dallas Morning News recounts, it burned, closed, reopened, was bought by Landmark, moved to art and foreign films, and was remodeled several times. Its recent history was shakier. The theater closed temporarily in 2024 after a lease default. Landmark then cured the default by moving to a month-to-month lease, according to Mullis. In early 2025, D Magazine wrote about the theater's uncertain future while Landmark's parent company went through a court-ordered auction.

In May 2026 Landmark moved from that month-to-month footing to a new three-year lease, and as part of it Landmark promised to revamp the guest experience. "We wanted to give them the opportunity to be able to really turn the ship around," Mullis told the paper.

The work stayed modest. Leather recliners replaced the LoveSac couches, LED poster cases went in, and the terrazzo at the entry was refinished. L&B said more improvements would follow over the next two years. Landmark's listing now describes three screens, recliner seating, and a bar where you can take your drink into the auditorium. The weekly Rocky Horror Picture Show, performed by Los Bastardos, is still running after more than a decade there.

The new stores sell age, too

After the theater's lease was signed, the new arrivals followed the same direction. Here is how each one describes itself:

• Rejuvenation, Suite 322. A Portland home furnishings brand founded in 1977. It started in architectural salvage and still makes many of its lighting fixtures in the United States, according to the Advocate.
• Ball and Buck, Suite 325. A brand built on American craftsmanship and sporting tradition. People Newspapers reports that the store has a full-service barbershop, a hidden gun room and a restored vintage Jeep.
• LAKE Pajamas. Founded in Savannah, Georgia, in 2014. The brand sells pajama sets, robes and matching family collections in classic styles, and this is its first Texas store.
• Charlie's, coming in 2027. A 30-table restaurant inspired by classic East Coast neighborhood institutions.

Two tenants fall outside the heritage theme. PopUp Bagels opened its first Texas shop at 5450 W. Lovers Lane on April 24. LiftHER, a women-only small-group strength studio, is now listed as open at 5550 W. Lovers Lane, Suite 146.

Corinne Hoffman, a vice president at L&B Realty Advisors, described the plan to the Advocate as "bringing together the best local and national concepts in one destination." The national names in this year's class lead with their history.

How the year filled in

The 2026 arrivals came in over about six months, with two more still ahead, so the center looks different now than it did on the Fourth of July. In order:

1. April 24: PopUp Bagels opens at 5450 W. Lovers Lane.
2. May: Landmark signs its three-year lease for the Inwood Theatre.
3. September 18: Rejuvenation announces its Inwood Village store is open. It held a grand-opening party on October 15, according to Williams-Sonoma's announcement.
4. October 8: Ball and Buck opens.
5. This fall: LiftHER appears on the open list, and LAKE Pajamas joins the tenant roster.
6. 2027: Charlie's and BURU, a women's clothing brand founded in 2013 and known for colorful prints.

There was also a newcomer just past the center. Yo-Chi, an Australian frozen yogurt brand, opened its first U.S. location on October 3 at 5710 W. Lovers Lane, in The Pavilion on Lovers Lane. A company spokesperson told People Newspapers that about 5,000 guests came over opening weekend. That puts dessert within a short walk of the theater.

Charlie's will take reservations by phone

Charlie's is the clearest example of the old-school approach. PaperCity reports that it comes from Bob Sambol with Hunter Pond and Rick Dunlap, co-CEOs of Vandelay Companies, the group behind Hudson House and Drake's. Sambol's name is also linked to Bob's Steak & Chop House. The restaurant will serve dinner only and won't take online reservations. Diners will request tables by calling a landline, and some tables will be held for friends and family.

The restaurant goes into Suite 225 at 5450 W. Lovers Lane, the former Adelmo's Ristorante space. Adelmo's was a family-owned Italian restaurant that served the area for 36 years. It closed at the end of 2025, and PaperCity reported that it planned to reopen in North Dallas. PaperCity expects Charlie's to open in spring or summer 2027. Until then, the theater bar is the place to get a drink after dark at Inwood Village.

A holiday afternoon on Lovers Lane

With these stores open, holiday errands and an evening out can happen at the same address. One easy order: start with lighting or hardware at Rejuvenation, then stop at Ball and Buck for gifts. A haircut fits in too, since the barbershop is inside the store. Finish with an evening film at the Inwood, drink in hand from the bar. Walk up to The Pavilion afterward if anyone still wants frozen yogurt.

For a second holiday outing, the Boho Market will hold its Mistletoe Market at Preston Hollow Village, 7859 Walnut Hill Lane, on Saturday, December 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It sets up in the frontage-road-facing lot next to Trader Joe's. Admission and parking are free, and dogs are welcome. Details are on the market's event page.

The Inwood Theatre's three-year lease runs through about the spring of 2029. Charlie's and BURU should arrive within its first year, and L&B has promised more theater improvements along the way.

If you have spent this season watching Inwood Village change from your own corner of Preston Hollow and wonder what shifts like these mean for the homes around Lovers Lane, Diane Bearden is glad to walk through it with you. Contact Diane for a personalized market consultation.