Since late May, Preston Road and Royal Lane has added a steakhouse in a former liquor store, a wood-fired Mexican restaurant in a former sushi bar, a Campisi's kitchen in a former Thai and pho spot, and a studio that held its grand opening two days ago. None of these needed a zoning hearing, a height variance or a traffic study. Each one took over an existing space.
The proposal at the southwest corner is different. It would replace a low-rise block with towers as tall as 240 feet, and its City Council hearing has moved to November 10. Nearly every change at Preston Royal so far this year happened through ordinary lease turnover, inside buildings the neighborhood already knows.
Four Storefronts With New Names Since May
| Address | Previously | Now | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5959 Royal Lane, Suite 635 | Spec's | Palladino's Steak & Seafood | Opened June 16 |
| 6025 Royal Lane, Suite 250 | Anchor Sushi Bar | El Molino | Anchor closed May 31; El Molino open by late August |
| 5944 Royal Lane | Saucy's Thai & Pho | Campisi's pickup and delivery kitchen | Opened in August |
| 5959 Royal Lane, Suite 512 | Gem Studio | Grand opening October 10 |
Palladino's is the largest of these. The Dallas Morning News described the space as nearly 10,000 square feet, formerly occupied by Spec's, and quoted owner Joe Palladino on the long-awaited opening: "It's about time." The target date moved once before opening. A March report in Advocate Preston Hollow expected April. The June preview said June. CraveDFW reported the doors opened the night of June 16.
Turning a liquor store into a full-service steakhouse is a bigger change than the address suggests. A box built for retail errands now holds a full-service steak and seafood dining room.
A Sushi Bar Became A Fajita Room In One Summer
The Dallas Morning News reported that Vandelay CEO Hunter Pond confirmed the May 31 closing at 6025 Royal Lane. The same report said El Molino would replace it and set an expected opening of August 10. That date replaced the July target Advocate Preston Hollow had passed along in May.
By August 27, People Newspapers listed it as open. It is Vandelay Companies' second El Molino, with USDA prime fajitas cooked over wood-fired smokers, Flaming Margaritas and rare sipping tequilas.
The gap between Anchor's May 31 closing and El Molino's August 10 target was about ten weeks.
Campisi's Is Arriving In Two Steps
Campisi's at Preston Royal is a takeout kitchen today, and its dining room is planned for a different address.
In June, Advocate Preston Hollow reported Campisi's was coming to the Preston Royal shopping center with an August 1 target. In mid-August, CraveDFW clarified the plan. The 5944 Royal Lane space, formerly Saucy's Thai & Pho, opened in August as a pickup and delivery kitchen. The full-service restaurant is planned for 7709 Inwood Road, in the former Perch Bistro & Bar space, in early 2027.
As of this October, Campisi's at Preston Royal is a place to pick up an order, not a place to sit down. The dining room is a 2027 story on Inwood Road, near Inwood Village.
Gem Studio completes the year's list. Center owner EDENS lists it as open at 5959 Royal Lane, Suite 512, and the studio's own page scheduled its grand opening for October 10.
The Building Question Goes To Council
All four of those changes happened inside the current zoning. The southwest corner proposal does not.
According to People Newspapers, developer Leland Burk's plan includes three buildings. The current zoning on the site caps height at 54 feet.
- A hotel and residential tower up to 240 feet, about 19 stories
- A residential tower up to 210 feet, about 18 stories
- An office building up to 190 feet
The tallest proposed building is more than four times the current limit. The same report notes that Burk's team had already lowered the maximum height from its original proposal.
The case has gone through several steps this fall:
- August 6. The City Plan Commission approved the rezoning.
- October 14. This was the original City Council hearing date.
- October 9. District 13 council member Gay Donnell Willis announced she would ask to postpone the hearing to November 10.
- November 10. This is the requested new hearing date.
In her statement to People Newspapers, Willis explained the request in terms of traffic engineering:
"Traffic is the number one concern neighbors of this project have encouraged me to address. Additional traffic improvements will reduce wait times at the lights and ensure an improved flow of vehicles."
She also said the engineers at Kimley-Horn need more time to recommend plans that extend beyond the immediate intersection to east- and westbound traffic. She said she hopes those recommendations can be written into the zoning requirements, with the developer covering the cost.
People Newspapers also recounted public comment from the August 6 meeting, which covered both sides. A speaker involved with Preserve Preston Hollow said, "We are in support, 100%, of this corner developing. It's the height that's the issue." Another Preston Hollow-area resident argued the project would add housing for people looking to downsize from large homes, along with walkable restaurants and retail. In both comments, the disagreement is about the size of the buildings, not whether the corner should change.
The corner today is a low-rise commercial block. Coverage from February listed Gazebo Burgers, Escondido, a Chase Bank branch and several health and wellness shops among its tenants. That roster has not been confirmed by any later report found, and none of the coverage addresses what would happen to individual tenants' leases.
Preston Center Shows How Long Rebuilding Takes
Preston Center, at Northwest Highway and Preston Road, shows how long redevelopment takes once it is approved. People Newspapers reported that the $200 million 8300 Douglas project began construction in March 2026. The first phase is expected in late 2028, with about 24,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and dining and a 35,000-square-foot rooftop park.
Wang's, Yolk and AT Bistro have already left that site, while CVS and Target were expected to stay. HKS's Mark Buskuhl described the goal as a "dynamic public realm with restaurants and shops," and that public space is still roughly two years away.
Preston Royal got its new restaurants in months, not years. The Spec's space became Palladino's, Anchor became El Molino, and Saucy's became a Campisi's kitchen. Inwood Village is changing the same way. Rejuvenation, the Williams-Sonoma home furnishings brand, is slated to open there this fall. Jungle Studio Fitness has opened at 5560 W. Lovers Lane.
At Preston Royal, the steakhouse, the fajita room and the takeout kitchen are open now, whatever the council decides on November 10.
If you are thinking about how the changes at Preston Royal and Preston Center might affect a home nearby, Krista Cheatham can walk you through what has opened, what is still pending and what each timeline means for your plans. Let's Connect.
