The Colony Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 3, 1989 Page: 46 of 48
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Page 8 — Plano Star Courier — Wednesday, May 3, 1989
McKinney retailing
tradition more
than 100 years old
Wednesday, May 3, 1989 — Plano Star Courier — Page 9
'HE RANCH
COUNTRY CLUB
Puppet show
The First Baptist Church Bell Choir, Youth Ensemble and Puppet Show will
perform Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. on the square in McKinney at Mayfair ’89. The
Special photo
three-day event begins Friday, May 5 at 5 p.m. and concludes Sunday evening with
a performance by Bruce Whiff Men’s Chorus.
ALLEN
DOCTORS
RT ITT DINC
Family Practice
Linda I. Parker, M.D.
Suite 106
727-8000
Come to the Market Place, Unwind and
BUIDDNC
Internal Medicine
Walter L. Mason, M.D.
Suite 107
727-8205 metro 423-3996
Teresa Dewlett Rajala, M.D.
Suite 110
727-7701
IS Party!
' 8
515 West Main
Allen, Texas 75002
Obstetrics and
Gynecology
David E. Rogers, M.D.
Suite 115
727-1131 metro 423-4660
Featuring
Friday Nite
FLASH BACK
50’s & 60’s
3 minutes North of
Springcreek Parkway
Pediatrics
Benjamin R. Quiroz, M.D.
Suite 114
727-8318
SAFE
Saturday
STREET DANCE
6-7:30
and then party
moves inside for
Dinner & Dancing
9:00-12:30
MAIN ST/(FM 2170)
ALLEN 8
DOCTOR'S z
BUILDING U
___A
McDERMOTT
General Surgery
John E. Beaumont, M.D.
Suite 101
727-1702
Serving Great Southwest Cuisine
Restaurant • Club • Shops • Art Gallery
214 Louisiana • McKinney, Tx., 1 Block E. of Square
(214) 548-2300
Reservations Accepted • $5 Annual Memberships Available
McKinney is a city that has been built on
tradition, and retailing is no exception. For
years McKinney was the center of retailing
activity in Collin County. Families from all
over the county would venture to McKinney’s
downtown square for dry goods, hardware,
clothing or to see a movie at one of the several
theaters that were located here.
As Central Expressway came into being
and Plano began to grow some of this
changed. While many stores, such as Hope
Hardware, began to disappear others soon
took their place, this time in the form of
outlets. During the hey day of The Under-
ground Shopper and the surge in off-price
retail, McKinney became a mecca for budget-
conscious shoppers looking for a deal on
everything from ski wear to custom drape-
ries. Today, while McKinney is still home to
such underground favorites as The Decorette
and Doug and Linda’s Ski Shop, the retail mix
has shifted again.
As with retailing nationwide, McKinney’s
new stores offer a wide variety of goods and
services with an emphasis on customer
service and quality merchandise. But, don’t
be fooled. McKinney still has more value-
oriented shops concentrated in several city
blocks than any other shopping area around
and there’s always a sale going on somewhere
on the square. Stores like Slice of Apple offer
handmade country clothing for women and
children at 40-60 percent off retail every day.
Entrepreneurs Nadine and Dennis Nixson,
who own The Slice of Apple, are a good
example of the new breed of retailers
representative of the downtown area. They
are sold on McKinney and are serious about
retailing and customer service. They make
almost everything in their store from dresses
to hand-painted tennis shoes and wooden
jewelry. Though they have been in McKinney
less than two years they have already
expanded their successful store to more than
1,800 square feet and have just opened
another shop, this time a soda fountain and
burger bar. The Soda Jerk, a ’50s style diner,
opened its nostalgic doors just in time for the
annual Mayfair celebration. This was no small
feat, considering that the Nixsons are co-
chairmen of the Mayfair committee who
organized the event and planned for the three
days of nonstop entertainment. “With all of
the new stores and more entertainment than
ever before, this should be the best Mayfair
weekend ever,” said Dennis Nixson.
In most cities energetic entrepreneurs like
the Nixsons would be the exception but not so
in McKinney. Linda Duncan for example has
almost single-handedly turned McKinney into
the antiquing paradise it has become. Two
years ago she opened a small but successful
antique shop on the square, Storey House
Antiques and Fine Old Things. She built her
reputation on quality furniture, glassware and
collectibles all sold on consignment. In less
than a year, she too had expanded to become
the largest antique store on the square. She
added additional lines such as a library full of
antique books, antique linens and country
clothing, but she didn’t stop there. Three
months ago she opened yet another huge
antique shop, this time in the old First Nation-
al Bank Building on Tennessee. Her new
store, The Eagle Emporium, is comprised of
fine antique dealers from all over north Texas.
The serious antique collector will find every-
thing from the largest selection of Victorian
wicker in the metroplex to old doll beds, cedar
LAMAR
0
□
PUBLIC PARKING [P]
1. 1st Annual
George Bush
Horse shoe
Pitching
Competition
0
0
0
o
F]
0
0
e
3 Mi. TO HEARD MUSEUM
2. Aurora Black
Powder
Encampment
3. Center Stage
chests and German porcelain figurines.
“McKinney is becoming well known as a
haven for antique collectors. There are now
more than 10 shops within walking distance of
the downtown square. On any given day we
have visitors from every neighboring state
and as far away as Maine and Washington
State,” said Duncan.
While tourists do come from miles away to
take advantage of the history, nostalgia and
antiquing that is McKinney, this is not new or
even unusual to veteran retailer Jean Kidwell,
owner of Little Red Hen Again! She opened
the original Little Red Hen over nine years
ago and has also recently expanded into a huge
store on the corner of Virginia and Tennes-
see. Kidwell’s unique combination of gifts,
jewelry, casual clothing, buttons, books,
cards, flowers, potpourri, candles and such
has attracted visitors from all over the country
who are still on her mailing list and frequent
visitors to the shop. “We get shoppers from
everywhere! People either heard about
McKinney or are visting in the area and they
come back again and again,” said Kidwell.
Perhaps this is the reason for her new shop,
Little Red Hen Again! While it is in keeping
with the original concept of the unique and
unusual, there’s more of it. Her husband,
celebrated artist and cartoonist Al Kidwell,
has designed the store with fun in mind. Shop-
pers are awestruck by the real 20-foot tree
complete with tree house, seemingly growing
out of the floor and the enormous selection of
Kidwell Originals hung from the ceiling,
draped on the walls and propped on the dis-
plays. The artist will be on hand at the store
during Mayfair Weekend to personally show
and maybe even demonstrate his unique art
forms of characture and antiques.
This new breed of retailers has kept
McKinney on the map as a haven for shoppers
everywhere and continue in the retailing tradi-
tion begun over 100 years ago. Stores like
these, when coupled with the tremendous
variety of crafters who flock to McKinney
each year to rent booths for the weekend,
make Mayfair the shopping adventure it has
become famous for.
AT STONEBRIDGE RANCH
Enjoy Breakfast, Lunch
and Dinner
overlooking the beautiful
Arthur Hills 18 hole
Golf Course
The Ultimate Soup & Salad Bar
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Weekdays
(Closed Tuesday)
Friday Night Buffet
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday Brunch
11:00 am to 2:30 pm
Golfer’s Breakfast Buffet
Sunday
8:00 - 2:30
5901 Glen Oaks Drive,
McKinney Texas
540-2000
Metro 380-2612
Take Virginia Pkwy West from
US 75, Five minutes.
Reservations Requested
No Country Club membership
required at this time.
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Ball, Jeffrey. The Colony Leader (The Colony, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 24, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 3, 1989, newspaper, May 3, 1989; The Colony, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1666593/m1/46/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Colony Public Library.