Thieves broke into Design and Grace European Kitchen Store in Argyle early Tuesday morning, getting away with thousands of dollars worth of unique kitchen items.
According to operations assistant Brian Bartlett, two people parked out of sight of the store’s security camera and threw a spark plug through the glass door to enter.
They crawled through the broken glass and took two Jura display machines at the front of the store and another that was brand new and still in the box.
Altogether, the three machines were worth about $14,000.
In addition, the thieves took anywhere from 10-15 specialty Wüsthof knives that Bartlett said were worth about $300 each.
Bartlett said the thieves were masked and wearing headlamps, so they weren’t able to immediately identify the suspects.
“It’s really disheartening,” said Bartlett. “We just recently opened and we’re trying to have something nice and offer something a little nicer quality.”
Bartlett has already coordinated with the Denton County Sheriff’s Office, which is working on the case.
Design and Grace has been operating online-only for a while, but just recently opened their own store and showroom to offer a unique shopping experience in the area.
Part of that unique experience is showing off special, European-style kitchen items like the Dualit limited edition Union Jack toaster that was only on sale at Design and Grace.
The store is owned by Lantana resident Tony Boulton, was born and raised in Staffordshire, England before coming to America after an economic downturn in his homeland.
Despite the recent break-in, Bartlett said he is still positive about the store’s location.
“We’re still in a good area,” he said. “It’s surrounded by growth and people that are looking for something a littler nicer, not just the regular pots and pans.”
Bartlett said Design and Grace has had its issues with theft when it was all online, as well, but something about Tuesday’s incident seemed different.
“It’s really a slap in the face because it’s like someone has ripped us off,” he said. “When someone breaks into your store, it feels personal.”
Bartlett continues to be hopeful that the community will support the business and help it thrive.
“We’re just trying to create something nice for people to come in and browse around – maybe they’ll find something unique and upscale that they like,” he said.
