By Blake Bacho
Posted at 8:00 AM March 19, 2020
Anthony Cafaro Jr. was just 12 when he first visited Monroe County.
Cafaro accompanied his father, Anthony Sr., to welcome Hills Department Store to what was then known as Frenchtown Square Mall, but what would eventually become known as the Mall of Monroe. One of the mall’s first anchor stores, Hills had a tradition of hosting its sales associates and new landlord for a celebratory dinner the evening before grand openings.
“My father decided he would bring me along,” Cafaro said. “I remember getting dressed up in a suit, putting on that clip-on tie that I had. At the conclusion of the dinner that evening, the Hills executives presented their landlord with their first month’s rent check. My father signaled over to me to walk over to the podium and accept the check.
“This was probably my first business meeting of sorts. It is very near and dear to me, this mall and this community.”
Cafaro recently told this story inside Phoenix Theatres at the mall, where the co-president of the Cafaro Co. – the Ohio-based business that owns and operates the mall – served as the keynote speaker for the Monroe County Business Development Corp.‘s annual investors’ meeting.
While he took time to reminisce, Cafaro also acknowledged that the mall looks nothing like it did in the heyday of anchor stores such as Hills.
“Through the years, the mall has experienced many successes, and certainly its fair share of failures,” Cafaro said. “The mall has been home to what were the marquee retailers of their time, names like Sears, JCPenney, Elder-Beerman, Carsons, Hills, Target, Old Navy and Steve & Barry’s. Admittedly, the dominance of most of these traditional retailers has passed.”
Cafaro explained that while many people like to blame the struggles of traditional brick-and-mortar retailers on the rapid growth of e-commerce businesses such as Amazon, he believes there are several factors that have had a much bigger impact on the mall business.
He pointed to the popularity of standalone big box stores such as Walmart, the rising income inequality in the U.S. and the shift in how people spend their money, preferring to purchase “services instead of things,” as reasons why malls continue to shutter across the nation.
Cafaro said he and his company are taking these factors into account as they look to revitalize the Mall of Monroe.
“The first thing we’re looking at is entertainment and experiential aspects,” he said. “At the Mall of Monroe, the biggest draw today is right here where we’re standing, Phoenix Theatres, which is certainly one of the most successful theaters in southeastern Michigan. Along those lines, we’re actively seeking additional entertainment options for the Mall of Monroe, the types of entertainment you might see in larger cities like that which is offered by the likes of Dave & Busters.
“Unfortunately, they aren’t currently interested in the Mall of Monroe, or the Monroe market, but we’re certainly looking for businesses like that,” he said.
Health and wellness is also another component the Cafaro Co. is interested in for the mall. Planet Fitness serves as one of the “anchor stores” of the complex, and in November, River Raisin Crossfit will open an 11,000-square-foot facility.
Community groups such as Monroe City Church and the Monroe Community Players also have converted former storefronts to fit their needs, and local marketing and creative agency Leviathan will have a large presence along the concourse starting in September.
Cafaro said his company also is looking to attract at least one new restaurant to the mall, in part to cater to these new businesses that will be moving in, while also complementing Phoenix Theatres to create a true dinner-and-a-movie experience.
“Dining is something that cannot be consumed online,” he said.
Cafaro reaffirmed his family’s commitment to the mall and the Monroe community, saying there are no plans to close or sell the mall and that the firm is interested in working with local mom-and-pop businesses and start-up companies to help them create an ideal shopping experience for their clientele.
“With hard work, continued investment, and yes, the community’s support, we hope to be part of the Monroe community for years and decades to come,” Cafaro said. “We reach out to you in the business community to join us and help us reinvest and reinvent the mall for the 21st century.
“Please tell your business associates, tell your friends and neighbors, that if they’re interested in opening a business – no matter what sort of business it is – the Mall of Monroe is here to help them transform their ideas into reality.
“We definitely have a storefront waiting for them,” he said.