Kennedy Mall Makes a Comeback

Kennedy Mall Makes a Comeback

 

By Bryce Parks   365ink Magazine

February, 2024

If indoor malls are supposed to be going extinct, Kennedy Mall didn’t seem to get the memo. In recent years, and with especially accelerated momentum in the last year or so, the 54-year-old shopping and entertainment venue has rebounded, coming back to life with new businesses and creative new programs to welcome Tri-Staters back to one of the area’s most prolific retail centers.

 

A big remodeling reinvestment by parent company, Cafaro, supported by a renowned community-engagement energy and, most importantly, a number of new retail and entertainment-based tenants has seen mall activity increase dramatically. With new anchor tenant Home Goods slated to open in April and an array of locally-owned businesses finding success under the sprawling roof, it’s high time you revisit Kenney Mall to discover what you’ve been missing.

 

It was near Christmas when I was collecting toys donated to the Marine Corps Toys for Tots from some Kennedy Mall retailers, and I must admit, it was the first time I’d been in the mall in a while. And it was impossible not to notice… PEOPLE! There were people all over. Moreover, there were open storefronts all over. This was not the mall I had experienced the last time I visited; this was a bustling atmosphere. I knew I had to get back soon and find the story behind what I was seeing.

 

Knowing that HomeGoods was opening soon, it seemed that there was no time like the present. However, since I started working on the story, the late winter opening has been pushed to April due to several unforeseen factors (wickedly cold temperatures certainly were not helping outdoor construction). But it’s still just around the corner. Indeed, there are interesting new things around many corners at Kennedy Mall these days.

 

So, where do we start the story? I guess, for better or worse, we need to address the elephant in the room. Over the last two decades, it’s no secret that indoor malls have had their backs against the wall, struggling to evolve and survive in a new reality where their long-time venerable anchor tenants were starting to drop like flies. Without an immediate clear solution for replacing them, keeping the rest of the mall’s offerings relevant and supported by those major draw retailers was going to be a challenge. Many didn’t survive the transformation. Kennedy Mall did.

 

Kennedy Mall is owned and managed as part of the Cafaro family of companies, based in Niles, OH, which built the mall in 1970 as the first enclosed mall in the state of Iowa, encompassing nearly 700,000 square feet at 555 John F. Kennedy Rd.

 

In researching the background of the greater state of malls, there seemed to be a variety of targets to blame for the decline. Back in the 1980s, there were about 2,500 malls nationwide. Today some 700 malls are still operating. The easiest target to blame is online shopping. But that’s like peeling back a single layer of the onion. When you dig deeper, consolidation and, well… corporate greed are much to blame.

 

Senior Vice President William J. Miklandric, Jr. of Leasing & Legal at Cafaro and William Sheely, the leasing director responsible for the Dubuque market, discussed the issue with me and confirmed my findings.

 

“Take a look at the difference in dollars spent in this country online versus traditional bricks-and-mortar retail, and I think you’d be really surprised,” explains Miklandric. “A lot of people make that blanket statement and say it’s online shopping. It’s a portion, and it’s a larger portion than it’s ever been, but it remains well behind what people still spend in traditional stores. There’s going to be a place for both, but obviously, our position, as our company’s 75 years old, is that bricks and mortar still has a place throughout the country.”

 

The conglomeration of major brands under groups like Bon Ton, a department store chain that included Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s, and Younkers, was also a major factor. In short, these larger holding companies buy a brand and then sell off the real estate assets of the company to generate cash to buy more brands where they repeat the process. All is well and good if those brands all sustain strong sales. But when one slips, there’s no real estate to fall back on. And it’s a house of cards. One dying brand can bring down the whole family. Bon Ton went bankrupt in 2018. Then you get private equity firms buying up the assets to liquidate what they can from the carcass and leave the brand for dead.

 

This killing of those major retailers leaves huge empty retail spaces in malls across the country. These malls once counted on multiple anchor tenants of major retailers to bookend all of the smaller retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues that filled their hallways in between the big stores. No anchor tenants means no big fish to symbiotically help feed the smaller fish, and the whole ecosystem collapses.

 

Miklandric concurred, “That’s had a major impact. We saw a string of bankruptcies that came out of COVID. When a private equity firm has essentially sucked all the cash out of the business and now you’re faced with these tremendous headwinds, there’s really no way that you’re going to make it out of the other side. You might have gone in the rabbit hole to find that side of the story, but you found probably one of the biggest pieces that a lot of people don’t take the time to understand.”

 

Now the major struggle is to replace those anchor tenants with new ones. And while Younkers and Sears may be gone, there are still several potential national partners out there. But you also have to show them that the mall is the right place to put down stakes. Additionally, you find new business models springing up to take advantage of these suddenly empty large spaces. In Dubuque, The Fun Station, EL-1 Sports, and Planet Fitness fit that bill.

 

“After 55 years with this property, it’s interesting that one of the things that made The Fun Station work is that way back in the day when the mall was developed, we created ceiling heights that can accommodate a trampoline park. And at one point, there was actually a theater inside the mall. So, we were able to take a portion of the former Sears, for example, and repurpose these spaces for Planet Fitness and EL-1 Sports. I’d love to go back in time and hear what our founder would think about having these types of uses in the malls that he built back then.”

 

“You have to be creative to repurpose those spaces because some of those traditional department stores aren’t going to come back around. So that’s definitely been the name of the game, to try and get the puzzle pieces to fill those large spaces.”

 

So, fast forward to post-COVID America, and Cafaro is working on creative ways to bring life back to these hard-to-fill spaces and challenging their local management team to create new energy and activity to bring patrons back to the halls of Kennedy Mall.

 

“I think what we want to do is build the best mousetrap,” explains Miklandric. “What gets people in there? What does the community need? And one of the things that you can see throughout our portfolio that includes Kennedy Mall and Dubuque is getting people to stay on the property. I think we do a better job of that than a lot of people in our industry. It’s not a walk-in, walk-out enterprise like many box stores. People are visiting Kennedy Mall every single day for things like Planet Fitness or bringing the kids to The Fun Station. Hopefully, that means that they’re going to pick up something at or around the mall to eat or shop while they’re there before or after their main reason for coming.”

 

“We’re challenged to get people to then discover the rest, and one of the key ingredients that our leasing directors use is a good sense of what the community needs and looking for a different mixture of retailers or other kinds of businesses that might fulfill those needs. And then, of course, shoppers’ needs have changed over the years” said Cafaro’s Communications Director, Joe Bell.

 

It seems a particular sense of pride for Cafaro that many of the businesses finding success at Kennedy Mall today are locally owned and tailored to the Dubuque audience. Currently, 15 of the 50 or so tenants at the mall are local, non-chain businesses.

 

“One of the real success stories in Dubuque is Captured On Canvas,” shares William Sheely, Leasing Director responsible for the Dubuque market. Yes, two Bills on one conference call, so keep up! “You can actually go in there and learn to paint and create your own works, a concept that probably no mall had 20 years ago. It’s a great way to draw different people into the mall and to get them to spend time and to come back.”

 

“Another great example of that is actually Donna from Classy & Chic Boutique. She currently has a location in downtown Dubuque and is now finding success with a second location at the mall. And one thing that I really noticed in my short time here in the Dubuque market is that local people like to support local people in Dubuque.”

 

That success has led the owners of Captured on Canvas to open two more storefronts inside Kennedy Mall.

 

“It kind of caught me at a good time because my business was ready to expand,” explains Mercedes Pfab, owner of Captured on Canvas. “They actually reached out to me and have been really good to work with especially as far as the price for rent. And the sales have definitely been trending up every year I’ve been here. And it’s great to see all the new traffic on an almost daily basis. There’s always somebody walking in the mall saying that they haven’t been here for a very long time. So it’s been much better for my businesses and offers more and more foot traffic year by year.”

 

Mercedes and her husband, Dekker Pfab, added two more storefronts within Kennedy Mall on the success of Captured on Canvas. Makers Market is a 6,000-square-foot outlet to purchase locally made crafts from apparel and art to Dubuque mementos. Things you’re never going to find in a big box store. And The Tech Corner, which is just what it sounds like, offers repairs for computers, cellphones, tablets, game consoles, and other electronics.

 

“I am excited to see that almost all the spots are filling up and the variety of stores as well,” Mercedes continued. “I think there’s always something for everybody now in the mall for sure, and they’re also having a lot more community events and kids activities here.”

 

So, while 30 years ago, malls were thriving on hallways filled with smaller national chain retailers, those spaces are now being filled by local entrepreneurs making a go of it right next to the big boys like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Books-A-Million, and soon, HomeGoods.

 

As good as Cafaro’s vision might be for righting the ship from the home base of Ohio, it also takes creative thinking and a forward-moving energy locally to engage that vision and add the ever-important ingredient of knowing your hometown market. Both Bills agree that the team in place in Dubuque is doing a great job of doing just that, led by Property Manager Dick Launspach, Operations Secretary Faye Begle, and Marketing Director Bobbie Jost who I got to sit down with and talk strategy.

 

When the guys in Ohio mentioned the fact that they go out and actually talk to the community and ask what they want to see, Bobbie Jost is that person. She’s out in the mall every day asking people those questions. The most recent arrival to the Kennedy Mall crew, Jost hit the ground running in June of 2023. While Cafaro may have a great plan for the big picture, knowing Dubuque so well, Bobbie can focus on the smaller picture.

 

“When I started, I said, ‘This [references her plan] is what I want to do. Let me go!’ And they did.”

 

“Bobbie does a great job for me out there,” shares Leasing Director Bill Sheely. “She’s calling me once or twice a day, ‘Hey, what about this concept?’ Bobbie and Dick, they do a phenomenal job at the property. They’re basically our eyes and ears being that we’re in Ohio. They give me all the tools I need when I take trips to Dubuque to really go after different types of tenants that we may not have thought of before. So they’re phenomenal.”

 

But Bill Sheely is not sitting in his office directing the troops either. He travels throughout the state of Iowa and competing markets to see other shopping centers.

 

“One of the things that I think that our local group does in Dubuque as good or better than anybody out there is taking care of the physical plants on our properties and the maintenance level that we have” said Bill Miklandric. “When you go to our mall in Dubuque, it’s always well kept and taken care of, and that’s kind of the ownership mentality of that group.”

 

Miklandric added, “We just did a remodel in 2021, at a time when commercial landlords across the country were doing everything but spending money coming out of the pandemic. That remodel is to solidify the shopping center into the future. Now what we’ve got to do is address the anchor situation. We can’t mention any names while discussions are ongoing, so… I’ll editorially finish his sentence… “Stay tuned!”

 

Returning from the home office’s macro plan for what’s working to Bobbie’s local marketing micro plan for renewed energy at Kennedy Mall, it seems to be all about creating buzz and energy, and she’s doing that with special events that draw people.

 

“Christmas was crazy,” Jost tells us. “I think we had 25 holiday events to welcome people back to the mall. So, I think that’s where our success is. That’s where we’re being different. I think it’s more about an experience than just coming to shop anymore, and I think that’s how we’re thriving right now. Really getting involved in the community is key. I think making free events for kids and families has drawn a lot of people as it made the mall a destination again.”

 

The mall’s trick-or-treat bash last fall brought in as many as 2,000 kids for one event. While there for that specific event, so many of those people may not have been to the mall in a while and looked around and saw what was happening there. And because of that, many will be back. So, Bobbie is open to ideas and welcomes them.

 

Watch for Toddler Tuesdays, monthly sidewalk sales, a blood drive, selfie competitions, and a spring fashion show, plus Easter will bring a Bunny Bash this year. They also plan to expand on their Golden Knights jump this year around the 4th of July holiday. That’s part of what puts her out in the mall hallways all the time gauging the wants of the people who are already frequenting the mall.

 

New stores make big news stories, but simply getting their existing stores back on consistent hours of operation (Monday–Saturday at 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sundays at 11 a.m.–6 p.m.) has made a big difference. When you come to the mall now, everything’s open. That matters.

 

In my rabbit-hole internet digging, I also found an interesting revelation by Coresight Research which noted that after years of living with online shopping, omni-channel marketing, where a brand has both a physical and online presence, has been a major factor driving mall growth. Brands that started online are opening real stores as customers still want to touch or try out products. And just like in the ’80s, younger shoppers, Gen Z, are leading the return to mall shopping nationwide. And they also note a rise in “experience-focused” tenants. Sound familiar?

 

Almost two-thirds of Gen Z consumers also say they go to malls for the social aspect, not for any specific product. And post-pandemic society has proven it’s hungry for communal spaces. Kennedy Mall too sees a lot of young people hanging out at the mall again, just like we did in the ‘80s. And while that can come with its own set of challenges, Jost says that just having that presence is healthy, noting that it’s a safe place for people to spend time.

 

And that brings us to the mall walkers. It’s not a few people; it’s a small rotating army of Dubuquers that find the hallways of Kennedy Mall the perfect destination for getting their steps in but also for socializing in a safe, flat, weather-free atmosphere. Not only does Kennedy Mall encourage mall walkers, but they also have a program where you can get in early to walk even before stores open. Visit the Mall Management Office located across from Ulta Beauty between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to register and receive your free walker pass. Mall doors open at the Edward Jones entrance daily at 8 a.m. for registered walkers.

 

And with a lot of older locals wanting to walk, rest, and chat, naturally, they want coffee. Since BAM!’s coffee stop closed with their move to a new location in the mall, so went access to a good cup of coffee. Well, fear not. One of the newest entrepreneurial tenants, Irvin Johnson (no, not that THAT Irvin Johnson) is opening two stores, This & That and World Earth Minerals (I’ll get to both of those in a bit). But he is also opening World Earth Coffee just across the hall to fill the need expressed by so many mall regulars. And I’ll bet mall workers will also appreciate having a fresh cup of coffee right down the hall.

 

When looking at what’s new at the mall, you can’t miss the game-changer anchor tenant arriving in April. HomeGoods, one of the nation’s most popular destinations for housewares and home décor, part of the TJX group which also operates TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Sierra, and others, will debut in Dubuque at Kennedy Mall, occupying a spacious 24,000-square-foot location next to HuHot Mongolian Grill. BAM! (Books-A-Million), which was previously located in that spot, moved to a new 12,000-square-foot space that is part of the former Younkers store.

 

The new World Earth Minerals offers a wide variety of stones, jewelry, engraving services, and a really cool gold mining activity for the kids. At the same time, This & That offers overstock items at a discounted cost, usually priced around 25% of the typical retail cost. Items are new but bought in bulk to allow for the lower prices of toys, clothing, furniture, and more.

 

And hitting the Gen Z demo, the new Angry Fox is a retailer focused on anime collectibles, gaming, and snacks. We should also highlight that Gold Standard Athletics joined with EL-1 Sports, a leading national youth sports training company endorsed by Major League Baseball, to take its large indoor Kenney Mall youth baseball training facility to a new level.

 

One business that’s not new but at the same time is very new is the transition of Vertical Jump Park to The Fun Station. With the new owner, there is not just a new name but there is also a huge investment in new amenities that will let you jump, fly, swing, bounce, and flip your day away. This is also the kind of silver-lining business that may have grown from the dark clouds of anchor brands disappearing. They’re the perfect fit for giant empty spaces that both bring a lot of traffic and can also move in without massive infrastructure investment.

 

“That place is just crazy,” says Bobbie Jost with a smile about The Fun Station. “I mean, they have done so many updates. They just put these new slides in which are super fun. I went in at 10 a.m. the other day, a very cold day, and I bet you there were 200 people in there. It was amazing.”

 

Bobbie says a positive, healthy relationship with all of the mall tenants is another key to forward progress. Quarterly tenant meetings have great attendance and generate useful feedback. “They’re all noticing the trends,” says Jost. ”They’re all seeing it in their numbers, and you know the management is seeing it. I think we have a pretty great relationship with all of them.”

 

She also finds a lot of synergy with Property Manager Dick Launspach. She’s new and energetic with fresh ideas, and Dick has been at the mall a long time. He’s seen it all, the good and the bad, and as Bobbie puts it, “He knows everything,” and can bring that experience to seeing both the opportunities but also the potential problems with her “crazy ideas”. She’s also quick to praise the maintenance and security personnel on staff. Those are things you might take for granted, but just visit malls outside of Dubuque. Cleanliness and safety are not a given. We just assume they are because it’s what we’ve learned to expect in our own mall.

 

Developing new tenants isn’t always about recruiting existing chains to come to town. It can also be developing businesses with local entrepreneurs by giving them good opportunities to create and grow.

 

“It’s not just getting a rent check,” explains Jost. “It’s about attracting reputable businesses that serve a demographic. I know [Cafaro has] turned down some opportunities. Our leasing leadership team is so very loyal to who’s in here, avoiding competition. And if people just assume the rent is too high, that is just a lot of chatter. Every lease is formed differently to fit that business model. If you have a business and you want more information and they like what you’re gonna bring to the table, they work with you to build a successful business with you. It’s not cut and dry. It’s not just square feet. There’s a lot that goes in behind the leasing side of it, and I encourage anybody with the business idea or business model to see for themselves to reach out.”

 

“Cafaro is investing time and capital to bring different things in,” she continues. “They’re putting a lot of their own money into things locally. Because I don’t think a lot of people know that without them investing, businesses like Home Goods don’t come. Did you know Cafaro gives me thousands of dollars to donate to worthy causes in the community every year? They just increased that amount. I’ve never worked for a company that gave me money to give back. Nonprofits can send requests, and they make disbursements in $500 increments to touch as many people as possible. The Cafaros have really done a lot of great things for Dubuque. And I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.”

 

The strong community connection is also evidenced by a host of other ways the property serves a role as a gathering space. The Carnegie-Stout reading corner returned to the mall, sponsored by the Cafaro family directly. The facility has also housed a vaccination center during the COVID pandemic and serves as an emergency warming center during weather emergencies. You can also find the Dubuque Winter Farmers Market every Saturday morning, November through April, in the west concourse next to Planet Fitness.

 

And while you might think of Kennedy Mall as one big building, for Cafaro, it’s part of a campus including several very crucial out-parcel partners including Texas Roadhouse, Best Buy, Firestone Tires, and Caring Transitions which helps with relocation, downsizing, and often involves helping local families with the difficult process of estate sales. And we definitely can’t miss the popular Phoenix Theatres. They all contribute to the draw and the value that Kennedy Mall brings to Dubuque.

 

Phoenix Theatres is a great example of the Cafaro Company’s creative efforts to bring in new partners to enhance its presence.

 

“The Cafaro Company asked us to travel to Dubuque to explore the opportunity of having a new theater in Dubuque six years ago,” explains Phoenix Theatres owner Cory Jacobsen who is based in the Detroit area. “This resulted in us opening Phoenix Kennedy on April 6, 2018. We can hardly believe that six years have passed so quickly. Dubuque has become our favorite place to visit throughout the year. The business has been consistently very vibrant, and the friendships we have gained there have been very significant to our personal lives and the success of our company.”

 

Just before the pandemic, Phoenix had plans to add a PLF (premium large format) screen at Phoenix Kennedy Mall which they have put on hold due to the high costs associated with new construction nationally, primarily due to the supply chain issues. As these costs have stabilized, this project is now once again under serious consideration.

 

“As of this week, we have reopened negotiations with the Cafaro Company about resuming the expansion project, and this was met rather positively as a potential project for 2026 by their management. Our PLF screen in Monroe, MI is a great success [and is another Cafaro property], and we certainly recognize the value of having what we consider a very special destination screen for major attractions.”

 

We will certainly continue to update our progress on this project as this information becomes available. In the interim, we note that Phoenix will introduce a new premium amenity of Dolby ATMOS to Phoenix Kennedy in 2024. Dolby ATMOS sound makes every film more immersive and brings a significant premium experience to the moviegoers of Dubuque.

 

And since Phoenix Theaters is looking to the future, let’s do the same for the rest of Kennedy Mall and other Cafaro properties. This is probably a good place to remind you that Cafaro also owns the Asbury Plaza shopping center where Sierra just opened up and Barnes & Noble booksellers is about to open in the old Pier 1 space. They also just bought the nearby Buffalo Wild Wings strip mall and re-surfaced that awful parking lot, making the empty spaces in that strip mall more attractive. And look for a new strip mall to go in next to Collins Community Credit Union where the old Shopko parking lot sits empty. Yep, that’s them, too. They are truly ingrained in the Dubuque community.

 

A big question that Bobbie gets all the time is about food. With the demise of so many anchor tenants a decade ago, so went the foot traffic that kept the food court buzzing, and thus went the food court. Even Great American Cookie Company (R.I.P.). So you can bet that this issue is big on the radar at Kennedy Mall for the future.

 

Addressing the former Yonkers women’s store is probably priority No. 1 right now according to Cafaro leadership. Being so visible at the front of the mall is admittedly a huge hole for them. And they realize that more restaurants at Kennedy Mall could do extremely well.

 

The Dubuque Mining Company is basically a Dubuque institution. Legendary Cave Ins, clam strips, and going on 2 million burgers served… plus an Andes mint at the end. It’s just part of being a Dubuquer. Next door-ish, HuHot Mongolian Grill lets you create your own stir fry concoction and watch it get cooked hot and fast on a giant, round, flattop grill. The well-known Texas Roadhouse steakhouse chain has been extremely well-received since its arrival. If you’ve ever been on a the weekend waitlist, you know what I’m talking about. Mmmm… warm bread and cinnamon butter! But there’s always room for more dining options, especially if it’s different and exciting.

 

But that target description goes for all of the potential additions Cafaro might make to the mall. Filling in some of the empty spots, moving some around, and maybe even getting some of those national brand tenants back into the mall is the goal. Even re-attracting brands that have left malls in the past to come back to a revived mall atmosphere is possible.

 

A recent New York Times feature noted that occupancy rates are the No. 1 indicator of a mall’s health but also noted that occupancy rates of 100% are not necessarily a goal for malls looking to stay competitive and attractive. Store closures do not automatically mean the mall format is in trouble. Times change, and consumers like to see new offerings. That’s what turnover is all about.

 

So what can stop the mall’s growth this time? Two things loom largest. The first is leaving town to shop elsewhere.

 

“It’s kind of surprising to people like us,” pondered Miklandric, “that people would travel to places like Davenport and Coralville to meet the needs that can otherwise be covered at Kennedy Mall. Like a public park, if you don’t use it, it’s going to be hard to sustain. Shopping local includes shopping at the mall.”

 

“The first question that any national tenant, anybody that’s anybody, has ever approached me with in Dubuque is what are the sales volumes of the stores at our malls? So if you go to other malls and spend your money at stores that we otherwise have at Kennedy Mall, you’re actually helping that mall and hurting ours all at the same time. So it’s kind of like cutting off your nose to spite your face.” Miklandric said.

 

The second hurdle is our own gossip. I know many of you thought before you read this story that the mall was failing. It is not. Quite the contrary. Instead of speaking from a personal experience, we rely on idle chatter and old experience. So, I ask you now to go to Kennedy Mall again soon. Make your own new observations from your own experiences. And if you agree that there’s something cool happening, do your part to change the conversation. If nothing else, correct others when they share, well… fake news.

 

Bobbie sums it up well, “Our traffic is up, our sales are up. It’s just, it’s trending up. So it just seems fit that we grow with it. There’s where we came from, where we are, and where we’re going. That’s the biggest thing that I think Dubuque needs to understand, get behind, and support. This is an opportunity for us to take this and make it what we want. As a community, having that buy-in, and as a company, being transparent is how we’re going to do that.”

 

Or just start a rumor that the mall is getting a Red Lobster and watch everybody freak out.

 

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Kennedy Mall boasts 50-plus stores, entertainment, and dining venues.

 

American Eagle Outfitters

Clothings and accessories

 

Angry Fox

Anime collectibles, gaming, and snacks

 

Auntie Anne’s

Sweet and savory soft pretzels

 

Books-A-Million

Books, toys, tech, and more

 

Bath & Body Works

Fragrant shower gels, lotions, candles, and accessories

 

Best Buy

Home entertainment, electronics, appliances, and computers

 

Botanicanna CBD

CBD dispensary and infused products

 

Brow Beauty

Beauty and skin care specialists

 

Buckle

Denim-centric apparel, accessories, and footwear

 

Captured on Canvas

Paint parties and instruction

 

Caring Transitions of Eastern Iowa

Estate liquidation

 

Claire’s

Fashion accessories

 

Classy & Chic Boutique

Trendy clothing and accessories

 

Concepts by Iowa Hearing Aid Centers

Customized hearing solutions

 

Cost Cutters

Hair salon

 

Daily Thread

Affordable fashion

 

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Sporting goods and apparel

 

Dubuque Mining Company

Venerable Dubuque dining institution

 

Edward Jones

Financial services

 

Finish Line

Athletic footwear, apparel, accessories

 

Firestone

Tires and complete auto cate

 

Francesca’s

Women’s clothing and accessories

 

The Fun Station

Indoor activity park

 

Game Stop

Video games and more

 

GNC

Nutrition and supplements

 

Go Calendars & Games

Calendars, toys, games, and gifts

 

EL-1 Sports

Baseball instruction

 

Hibbett Sports

City gear, sneakers, shoes, and athletic clothing

 

HomeGoods

Discount merchandise retailer

 

HuHot Mongolian Grill

Asian-inspired Mongolian grill buffet

 

JCPenney

Clothing, beauty, accessories, home

 

Kay Jewelers

Jeweler

 

Lens Crafters

Prescription eyewear and contact lenses

 

Hallmark

Cards, accessories, ornaments, and more

 

Maker’s Market

Vendor market, selling quality handmade products

 

Phoenix Theatres

Luxury movie theater with reclining heated seats

 

Planet Fitness

Fitness center

 

Riddle’s Jewelry

Jeweler

 

Royal Nails

Manicures, pedicures, nail care

 

Rue 21

Women’s fashion and accessories

 

Shoe Carnival

Footware

 

Spencers

Gifts, décor, gags, adult toys

 

Sports Plus

Sportswear and memorabilia

 

Suns Alterations

Clothing alterations

 

Sunshine Health Spa

Massage, facials, and more

 

T-Shirt Station

Custom T-shirts and sweaters

 

Texas Roadhouse

Chain-based Texas-themed steakhouse

 

Tradehome Shoes

Footwear

 

Ulta Beauty

Cosmetics and beauty products

 

Victoria’s Secret

Women’s fashion and intimates

Mall of Monroe visited 1.3 million times a year

Mall of Monroe seeking local businesses; mall visited 1.3 million times a year

Suzanne Nolan Wisler

The Monroe News  February 4, 2024

MONROE — The Mall of Monroe is hoping to bring in more local businesses. National retail trends show customers want stores that offer experiences. Artificial intelligence shows many people visit the local mall.

The 600,000-square-foot facility at 2121 N. Monroe St. has 27 leasable units.

“We have 11 vacant,” said Timothy Matune, senior vice president of asset redevelopment for Cafaro, the Niles, Ohio company that manages the Mall of Monroe.

Plans are currently in the works for more new tenants, Matune said. No mall stores have closed recently.

“We’re doing very well, opening new stores and retaining the ones that we have,” Matune said. “We have a good mix of established tenants, like Bath & Body Works, Shoe Dept., Color Beauty Supplies and Spencer’s.”

The mall is currently seeking local business owners.

“Our bosses at Cafaro are stressing local leasing. We’ve done a lot of local leasing,” Matune said. “We’re seeking established brick-and-mortars, new start-ups and people who have done internet businesses and are sick and tired of not having their garage or basement.”

“We’re open to almost anything,” added Rhonda Howard, the Mall of Monroe’s property manager.

She said the mall is currently seeking an operator for a full-service salon, which is already fully outfitted with supplies, including chairs, capes and vacuums.

Several current mall tenants are investing in their mall stores, including local theater company Monroe Community Players.

“They have been investing in the production and rehearsal space,” Matune said.

So, has Phoenix Theatres.

“Phoenix is one of the most frequently visited theaters in the Detroit-metro area. They have a market area of 45 miles,” Matune said. “They are constantly investing in the property: changing seats, carpet. They are on the forefront of anything having to do with entertainment technology.”

Color Beauty Supplies also has grown.

“She’s expanded a couple times. The business was 1,000 fee, now it’s 8,000 feet,” Matune said.

Cafaro operates 12 malls in the country. Matune has been with the firm since 1987 and was part of the development of the Mall of Monroe, which opened in 1988.

“The first thing we had to do was knock on farmers’ doors to buy the property to put in Mall Road,” he recalled.

The longest-leasing Mall of Monroe tenant is Shoe Dept., which came to the mall in 1994. Bath & Body Works opened at the mall in 1997.

Mall trends

Matune has seen many trends in his years in retail. Right now, he said, apparel stores are waning in popularity nationwide.

“It’s tough times with retail. There’s not the emphasis on apparel anymore. A lot of apparel left town. There’s more emphasis on exercise, phones and food. If you go down Telegraph Road, it’s all restaurants,” Matune said.

There’s also a nationwide emphasis on businesses that offer experiences. In the Mall of Monroe, some examples are Planet Fitness, Dirty Birdie, Family and Friends Funland, Classic Pinball and Pillar Performance, which just added a youth hockey academy.

“We have a good mix of retail and experiential,” Matune said.

Despite the trends, Howard said Monroe County people seem to want some clothing stores.

“People said what’s missing in the mall are clothing and salon and nail places,” she said.

How many visit the Mall of Monroe?

The Mall of Monroe is well-visited.

Matune said the mall gets data from Placer.ai, which uses artificial intelligence and algorithms to tracks visitors and their trends.

“I was astounded (at the technology). We had 228,000 different people come to the mall for 1.3 million visits in 2022. They spend an average of 105 minutes at the mall,” Matune said.

The median visitor is 38 years old, according to Placer.ai. The majority (52 percent) of visitors are female.

Howard said some results were surprising.

“They said a lot of traffic is after you close on Mondays, after 7 p.m.,” she said.

While the mall’s interior is closed then, businesses like Phoenix Theatres and Planet Fitness are still open. There also are mall walkers throughout the day.

Mall walking remains free, but enrollment has been required since 2005.

“When you exercise, your heart rate is elevated. If something were to happen, we know who to call,” Howard said.

She said the walkers are committed.

“Last year we had 154 enrolled,” Howard said. “Sometimes when school is closed, the mall walkers are here. It’s a good walking surface.”

Mall of Monroe’s stores

The Mall of Monroe’s current businesses are: Applebee’s (on mall complex property), Bath & Body Works, Brow Shapes, Champion Force, Color, Claw Kicker, CubeSmart, Disctopia, Domka Outdoors, Dirty Birdie (coming soon), Family & Friends Funland, Katalina’s Kitchen, Leviathan, MCF Marketpalce, Monroe City Church, Monroe Community Players, Phoenix Theatres, Pillar Athletic Performance, Planet Fitness, Quality Auto Parts, Ragnarok Motorworks, Ragnarok Outpost, Shoe Dept., Spencer’s, ULEKstore’s Classic Pinball and Arcade, Wu Ji Accupressure & Refloxology and Wonderworld Comics.

To learn more about the Mall of Monroe, call 734-242-9150 or visit themallofmonroe.com and Facebook.

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler atswisler@monroenews.com.

 

Virtual Golf Business Coming to the Mall Of Monroe

Virtual golf business Dirty Birdie coming to Mall of Monroe

Suzanne Nolan Wisler

The Monroe News  February 5, 2024

 

MONROE — A virtual, indoor golf business is coming soon to the Mall of Monroe, 2121 N. Monroe St.Dirty Birdie, which also will offer axe throwing and a full bar and restaurant, is expected to open in mid-April.“We’re so excited,” said Rhonda Howard, Mall of Monroe’s property manager.

Lifelong Monroe County residents Tim and Angie Clark and their son, Ben, will operate the business. Tim graduated from Mason High School, Erie. Angie is a Jefferson graduate, and Ben graduated from Monroe High School.

The 6,500-square-foot business in under construction in the former Finish Line and Vanity stores.

“This space is a great spot,” Tim said. “We’re so excited for this.”

Ben became interested in virtual golf after visiting a friend’s indoor golf simulator.

“He said, ‘Dad, let’s get virtual golf in the barn,'” Tim of Ida said. “We did some research and found the best one: Trackman. We immediately had the opportunity to bring it here.”

Tim said there are virtual golf businesses in the Ann Arbor and Toledo areas, but Dirty Birdie is the first of its kind in Monroe County.

Dirty Birdie will offer six bays for golf, five bays for axe throwing, 18 TVs, golf lessons and leagues, a full service bar and a restaurant.

The Mall of Monroe currently has only one other food establishment: Katalina’s Kitchen in the former Taco Bell site. It offers Mexican foods, such as tamales, tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas.

Tino Amaya from Monroe’s Amaya’s Fresh Mexican Grill is consulting on Dirty Birdie’s menu.He describes the menu as “modern American.”

“We’re bringing together a lot of flavors,” Amaya said. “Monroe is truly a melting pot.”

Among the offerings will be gourmet pizza, appetizers and seasonally inspired sandwiches.

Dirty Birdie isn’t the only business serving alcohol at the Mall of Monroe.

“Phoenix Theatres has a tavern license. They sell beer and wine,” said Timothy Matune, senior vice president of asset redevelopment for Cafaro, the company that manages the Mall of Monroe.

Dirty Birdie is for people of all ages.

“If you can pick up clubs, you can play digital golf,” Tim said.

Golf clubs can be rented on-site.

The Clarks don’t know yet how many people their business will employ. Tim plans to fill some vacancies through Aggressive Hiring of Frenchtown Township, his staffing agency.

Dirty Birdie’s hours are tentatively set for 9 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information, visit dirtybirdie-golf.com and Facebook.

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.