20-year-old Jamba shop closes in a Fort Worth landmark known for a mural — and a ghost
A Sundance Square Plaza location of the Atlanta-based Jamba juice bar chain has closed, leaving a vacancy in an anchor building known for the huge mural “Chisholm Trail” and also for generations of ghost stories.
A downtown tenant for 20 years, Jamba has gone through a series of corporate changes and mergers. The company now belongs to the Atlanta-based owners of McAlister’s Deli, Schlotzsky’s, Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon and has closed several shops while combining concepts in suburban locations.
Three Jamba shops remain open in suburban Fort Worth, along with one in Burleson.
Sundance Square will seek a local operator for the vacancy in the Jett Building storefront, 400 Main St., a spokesman said. The 40-year-old downtown retail development is in the middle of an ongoing makeover to emphasize unique and local restaurants and shops.
The Main Street location is an anchor on Sundance Plaza.
The building is best known for New York artist Richard Haas’ 1985 mural, “Chisholm Trail,” depicting 1870s frontier-era cattle drives that passed through what is now downtown along Jones and Grove streets on the way to the Chisholm Trail and a Kansas trailhead.
When the mural was painted, Fort Worth still hosted regular cattle sales. The Stockyards Hotel had just reopened, and Sundance Square had just hosted the first Main St. Fort Worth Arts Festival.
The 1902 building was originally the office for the local Interurban light-rail line down Main Street to Dallas.
Since at least the 1990s, it has been the subject of “haunted” tours and stories after employees of neighboring Razzoo’s and Mi Cocina told of seeing shadowy figures in a mirror and wine glasses falling. Some also said they heard balls rolling across wooden floors as music played.
Before then, a bookstore owner was mystified at books falling off shelves or turning up shredded. At least six building tenants have reported ghostly encounters.
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 9:50 AM.
