Dallas will soon get a grocery market again in the heart of downtown — and from a local brand.

Ari’s Pantry, which specializes in Italian products, is planning to open a shop in April on Main and Ervay streets, according to a post on the store’s Instagram account and Ari Lowenstein, who is the owner behind the shops. It’s where Berkley’s Market operated until it closed last year amid a consolidation.

Ari’s Pantry already has shops in Oak Cliff and Trinity Groves in Dallas — and the new store will be the biggest of the three, Lowenstein said.

The new shop will include produce, cheese, meats and pasta, along with wine and beer. There also will be a coffee service area with a barista and a gelato bar. Customers will find options for ready-to-go meals, salads, snacks and panini as well.

The store is a welcome addition to residents of downtown and local shoppers who were left without a key place for getting groceries with the Berkley’s closure. While there are grocery stores such as Whole Foods in nearby areas in Uptown and elsewhere, there’s no traditional shop in the core of the city.

The addition comes as downtown retail faces other challenges elsewhere including the planned shuttering of the iconic Neiman Marcus, a landmark destination for over 100 years.

Downtown needs more grocery options, Lowenstein said, as more people move into the area. At the end of last year, there were more than 10,000 existing and under-construction apartments in the city’s urban center — twice as many as a decade ago, according to CoStar.

The store can serve a real need for people who are nearby the site.

“They can just walk downstairs, or walk down the block, and grab their little red bags of Ari’s Pantry goodies,” Lowenstein said. “I’ve seen enough examples of the two stores that we have, (that I) believe that downtown – it’s going to be very successful.”

Lowenstein noted gifts can be a draw for shoppers as well.

Lowenstein, the proprietor at Ari’s Pantry, opened his first store in Oak Cliff in 2023. The new store is a joint venture between Lowenstein and other investors with interests downtown.

He plans to open new stores in other areas of North Texas in the future as well.

“As a beloved local and growing business, Ari’s is perfectly positioned to meet the growing demand for a high-quality grocery and grab-and-go option,” said Shalissa Perry, Downtown Dallas Inc.’s chief experience officer, in a statement. ”Downtown’s residents, workforce, and visitors have long expressed a continued desire for concepts such as this, and Ari’s arrival is a testament to the district’s ongoing evolution.”

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