Fig & Olive Confirmed

Galleria confirms Fig & Olive joining Nobu in former Saks Fifth Avenue

Galleria rendering Nobu Fig and Olive exterior

The Galleria has confirmed that Fig & Olive will arrive in 2017.

Courtesy image

The Galleria's bid to become as well known for its national and international dining options as it is for its shopping got a little stronger on Monday. Simon Properties announced that Fig & Olive — a French-inspired, upscale chain with eight restaurants spread across New York, California, Washington, D.C., and Chicago — will join international sushi juggernaut Nobu in the section of the mall that's being constructed in the former home of Saks Fifth Avenue.

When it opens in the fall of 2017, Fig & Olive's first Texas location will occupy more than 7,000-square feet on the first floor of the building. True to its name, the restaurant emphasizes its use of olive oil in Mediterranean-style dishes like truffle risotto, branzino glazed with aged balsamic vinegar, and crudos. A retail component allows diners to purchase the oils for cooking at home.

"There is significant consumer demand for fine dining options and The Galleria is pleased to be the first to welcome these exclusive brands," said Simon Properties executive Vicki Hanor in a statement. "Our powerful leasing momentum continues to yield premiere, luxury retailers and restaurants – many of which are first to Houston . . . We are extremely committed to providing our shoppers with an unrivaled shopping experience that includes preeminent retail stores and restaurants."

Indeed, the Galleria has undergone a comprehensive series of upgrades this year as it competes for both attention and dollars with newly opened River Oaks District. In addition to the all-new, 200,000 square foot Saks Fifth Avenue that opened in April, The Webster has brought one of the country's coolest fashion boutiques to the Galleria's "jewel box" on Westheimer. Plans are also underway to build a 30-story hotel and apartment tower on the site of the former Macy's at Sage and West Alabama.

Improvements in the mall's dining options will begin to manifest later this year when New York-based burger empire Shake Shack and Michelin-starred dim sum restaurant Yauatcha make their debuts. Taken together, these four new restaurants will give The Galleria a culinary credibility its never had before (sorry, Del Frisco's). We can't wait to see what's next.

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sudden cupcake shutter

Cupcake pioneer Sprinkles shutters all locations, including one in Houston

Photo courtesy of Sprinkles

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A nationwide cupcake bakery has shuttered all of its locations, including in Houston. Sprinkles Cupcakes closed all of its locations on December 31, according to multiple media reports.

The company provided a brief statement about the closures to TV station KTLA: “After thoughtful consideration, we’ve made the very difficult decision to transition away from operating company-owned Sprinkles bakeries.”

Founder Candace Nelson shared her own thoughts about the news via a post on Instagram. After noting that she sold the business to private equity in 2012, Nelson stated she was disappointed by the decision.

“Even though I sold the company over a decade ago, I still have such a personal connection to it, and this isn’t how I thought the story would go. I thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever,” she says in the clip.

The bakery had 20 locations in six states. In Houston, Sprinkles had one location in Rice Village that opened in 2021 (2563 Amherst St.). A Highland Village location that opened in 2010 had already closed.

It also operated stores in Austin (3120 Palm Way), Dallas (4020 Villanova), and Plano (7500 Windrose Avenue) and cupcake ATMs at other spots statewide, including one in The Woodlands Market Street district.

Sprinkles was widely credited for creating the cupcake craze of the late aughts and early 2010s. Founded by Nelson in 2005, the shop's treats elevated the form with high quality ingredients, a wide range of flavors, and the sort of eye-catching designs that would be now be described as Instagram-worthy — but Sprinkles predates the app’s creation. It introduced a number of innovations, including a cupcake ATM to satisfy cravings 24-hours-a-day.

As for Nelson, she pivoted to Pizzana, an Italian-style pizzeria she co-founded with her husband Charles, actor Chris O’Donnell and his wife Caroline, and chef Daniele Uditi. The restaurant, which holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide for its original outpost in Los Angeles, has a Dallas location that opened in 2022 and a Houston store that opened in 2024.

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