TCU Daily Skiff Orientation Issue 2004
Frog Fountain
Eclectic locale grows more diverse

Heather Cohen
Skiff Staff


A half mile south of TCU past Berry Street on University Drive, lies a quaint circle that is tucked away among older neighborhoods. The area, otherwise known as Bluebonnet Circle, has been a Fort Worth institution since the 1940s and is currently in a state of transformation.

The circle, which is home to a little over 30 small businesses, has welcomed several new stores within the past year. Full Circle Emporium, Heliotrope, Pizza De Leon, the Olive Boutique and Trio Hair Concepts have emerged while established businesses such as the Hong Kong Restaurant have relocated.

Mickie Cooles, owner of Full Circle Emporium, an antique store that carries jewelry and home and fashion accessories,says she sees the emergence of new businesses as part of an attempt to revitalize Bluebonnet Circle. Cooles also says that all of the newly opened businesses in the Circle offer goods and services of interest to TCU students, faculty and parents.

TCU student Mary Jacobs, a junior Advertising/Public Relations major, says that she couldn’t agree more with Cooles’ statement. Jacobs says she goes to the Circle for everything, from food to clothing to dry cleaning.

“I am a frequent Circle shopper; I absolutely love it’s unique atmosphere and all that the businesses in the Circle have to offer,” Jacobs said.

Driving around Bluebonnet Circle one can see exactly how diverse its offerings are. Small boutiques, charming restaurants, professional cleaners, bars, and a variety of other businesses.

Armando Lozano, owner of the Olive Boutique, a trendy one-of-a-kind clothing store that specializes in carrying the newest and hottest brands, says that Bluebonnet Circle definitely has something to offer everyone.

“It offers TCU students, faculty, parents and local residents places to shop eat, and get their hair or nails done,” Lozano said.

He says that places such as the Boom Room and Oui Lounge offer close nightlife options for TCU students who do not like to travel far from campus.

Many of the circle businesses also offer TCU friendly discounts. Top Star Nails, which specializes in both waxing and professional nail care, provides TCU students with a 15 percent discount on all services. Circle Cleaners frequently offers student and faculty discounts on their same day dry-cleaning service in the form of weekly coupons. The Olive Boutique allows customers to receive a thirty to sixty percent discount off a purchase the third Thursday of every month.

Bars such as Oui Lounge, which has been a Fort Worth tradition for 50 years, and the Boom Room have daily happy hour specials, and Pizza De Leon offers coupons on every pizza box.

Heliotrope owners Debby Stein and Jan Edmonds are extremely enthusiastic about their store’s new location on the Circle. The two women opened Heliotrope as a way to share their passion for the arts with others.

“And there’s no better location than near TCU’s campus to start our venture,” added Stein, a TCU graduate.

Heliotrope is a gallery for local artists that includes paintings, sculptures, jewelry, leather, furniture, pottery, photography and CD’s by local musicians, singers and songwriters.

“We are so grateful to be able to use our common passion to communicate to the public the beauty of the arts,” said Edmonds.

Edmonds and Stein hope that all of the new development in Bluebonnet Circle will bring a greater sense of community to the older, more established businesses.

“Hopefully,” Stein said, “with a steady symbiotic relationship between TCU, neighborhoods, and circle businesses, Bluebonnet Circle could be a premier shopping location for all of Fort Worth.”
Bluebonnet Circle Businesses
•Goodwill Donation Station
•Circle Cleaners
•Curt Hinkle D.D.S.
•HRT Computer
•Mann Flooring
•Full Circle Emporium
•Ta’ Lor Nails
•Sugar & Spice Boutique
•Bollin’s AAA Vacuum Cleaner Service
•Dennehey Architects
•Ocean Rock
•On Hold Productions
•Hardie’s Jewelry
•Fort Worth Crisis Pregnancy Center
•Circle Donuts
•Bluebonnet Liquor
•The Boom Room
•Gunns Cleaners
•Ionian Grill
•Marquez Hair Designs
•Brothers II Cleaners
•Trio Hair Concepts
•Top Star Nails
•Oui Lounge
•Jerry’s Barber Shop
•Caro’s Mexican Food
•Blue Bonnet Kwik Mart
•First Street Audio Recording Studio
•Fitness Solutions
•Cowtown Massage
•Pizza De Leon
•Capital Properties
•Chiropractic
•Heliotrope
 
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