North Texas Daily

Obed Manuel // Senior Staff Writer

For the past two weeks, employees of Cost Plus World Market watched shelves empty and shoppers leave with bags full of discounted items. No new shipments are planned because the popular store is set to close its doors on Jan. 28.

Advertising senior Melissa Gonzalez, who has worked at the store since November 2011, said that the announcement of the store’s closing came as a shock to her and other employees.

“I’d been working my way up,” Gonzalez said. “I was looking forward to working there until I graduated.”

Gonzalez said the store’s closing was explained to employees as a result of Bed, Bath and Beyond’s purchase of the World Market chain in 2012.

Michelle Cunningham, business development officer for the city of Denton, said it is a standard practice for businesses to wait until the end of the year to close or announce closings.

“If businesses are going to close, they try to make it through December,” Cunningham said. “The reason they close then is because they can take advantage of increased holiday sales.”

However, the large retailer was not the only business in Denton to close its doors recently.

The Denton Record Chronicle reported that Burguesa Burger shut down on Dec. 21 without attracting much attention. The local franchise owners could not be reached for comment.

A for sale sign now hangs on a once hip Mexican burger joint Burguesa right off the Denton square at the corner of Hickory and Industrial Streets. Photo by Kristen Watson / Staff Photographer

A representative from the Burguesa franchise office in Dallas said they were not familiar with why the Denton location closed.

Several locals in Denton tweeted frustration at news that the restaurant had closed.

Speech pathology freshman Brittni Roberts, a regular customer at Burguesa, said that there were signs that the restaurant was struggling to pull in enough business.

“On the weekends, it was busy,” Roberts said. “If we just went in during the week, it was usually just me and friends.”

Before 2013 ended, the Pizza Inn on University Drive and Treehouse Bar and Grill on Hickory Street also closed their doors.

Cunningham said she was not surprised to hear about the restaurants closing because the food industry is a high-risk market.

“If the market is not appreciative of the food or the products you’re selling, you close down,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham also said that closing before the calendar year ends allows businesses to avoid reporting business transactions in two tax cycles.

Even with the closings, some new restaurants will open their doors this year. Cafe Brazil announced on its Facebook page that it will open at the corner of North Carroll Boulevard and University Drive.

Dallas-based Hypnotic Donuts will also be opening a Denton location just west of the Square.

James St. Peter, owner of Hypnotic Donuts, said he decided to expand to Denton about eight months ago. He said the progressive feel of the downtown Denton area influenced his decision.

“We care about the community we’re in,” St. Peter said. “We want to bring a great community a great product.”

Cunningham said the opening of new businesses conveys the city’s welcoming nature.

“Other folks are seeing this as an eminently desirable market,” Cunningham said. “They are eager to bring their business concepts here.”

For Gonzalez, this week presents the challenge of finding a new job before her final scheduled day at World Market on Jan. 28.

“This job was my only source of income. I don’t have another job lined up,” Gonzalez said. “I have to focus on being a student, but I also have my expenses to worry about.”

Feature photo: This month, World Market off Loop 288 in Denton is featuring a “blowout” sale in an attempt to liquidate their inventory before closing. Photo by Kristen Watson / Staff Photographer