Menlo Park Mall
Encyclopedia
Menlo Park Mall is a two-level super regional shopping mall, located on U.S. Route 1
and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey
, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area
of 1,232,000 ft² (114,000 m²). Menlo Park Mall is currently owned by the Simon Property Group
.
had his famous laboratory, the site of which is about two miles (3 km) from the shopping venue. The structure was fully enclosed between June 1966 and December 1967. After the remodeling, it was renamed Menlo Park Mall.
The original center was anchored by Bamberger's
, Montgomery Ward
(opened May 1960), a small, dry goods only, JCPenney, a two-level Woolworth
, as well as two grocery stores: ShopRite
(later a Pathmark
), and Pantry Pride(?), later a Big Buy.
Originally a one level structure, the fully enclosed mall (post-1967) had a lack of skylights, with only shaded windows along the sides of the ceiling. The low lighting made the interior quite dark, as was customary with interior malls of the time. The flooring was quite unique in that there were patterns of orange, black, yellow and white throughout the mall.
The Montgomery Ward space was taken over by Alexander's
in 1972. J.C. Penney
moved to Woodbridge Center
in 1981. Bamberger's was rebranded by Macy's
in October 1986. When Alexander's
went out of business, the mall was able to secure the 2nd Nordstrom
in the state of New Jersey
, but changes had to be made to prepare for the opening.
Most of the mall was closed from 1990-1991, when it underwent a significant renovation and expansion that converted it from a single-story structure into its current two-story form. In expanding and fitting into the space, the new Menlo Park Mall was built on an angle with the vertex occurring at center court. The new Menlo Park Mall was also changed to have galleria style skylights, domed fountain courts, marble flooring, dramatic lighting, sculptures and a large, skylit food court. Two parking decks were also added, as was a 12 Screen Cineplex Odeon
movie theatre, which replaced the smaller Menlo Park Cinema on Route 1 (which was later replaced by Romano's Macaroni Grill
). Macy's was the only store to remain open during the primary expansion.
's films Mallrats
and Chasing Amy
, both of which take place in Central Jersey
areas. An episode of Comedy Central's Upright Citizen's Brigade was filmed in the Menlo Park Mall. The Scott and Todd Big Show on radio station WPLJ
sponsored a contest in April 2007, in which five contestants had to live in a makeshift prison in the mall for five days with the winner receiving a $5,000 shopping spree and a vacation to Aruba
.
Following the shooting of an employee on September 7, 2007, the Gymboree store temporarily closed, but reopened shortly thereafter.
was Bamberger's
, now Macy's
(occupying 337,591 sq ft) and a more recent addition to the mall is Nordstrom
(occupying 190,000 sq ft.). Over the years, Menlo Park Mall has sought tenants that market to upscale shoppers like Club Monaco
, Abercrombie & Fitch
, Banana Republic, Kenneth Cole
, Lucky Brand Jeans
, Swarovski
, Zara
, Guess, Armani Exchange, H&M
, and Hollister
. Menlo Park has also brought in various entertainment and dining options to keep the mall populated after regular hours such as Barnes & Noble Booksellers
, The Cheesecake Factory
, the Rainforest Cafe
, a 12-screen AMC/Cineplex Odeon Dine-In Theatre
, Fox & Hound, Romano's Macaroni Grill
and Benihana
.
and Herman's World of Sporting Goods
. Both had eventually closed and as a result of the remerchandising, Rainforest Cafe
opened at the end of the wing and is one of the mall's largest and most successful restaurants. After the closure of a furniture store in the former Linens 'N Things, Steve & Barry's opened in 2006. Now that the Steve & Barry's franchise is out of business, that spot is now again a Fortunoff furniture store. Additional stores located in this wing consist of Radio Shack
, a now closed pretzel shop called Pretzel Time, a unisex hair salon, a dollar store, a smoothie shop, and a small art gallery.
In 2002, construction began on the entrance near Nordstrom facing Parsonage Road. This entrance was temporarily closed for the construction of Barnes & Noble
and Cheesecake Factory, both of which opened in early 2003. The front parking lot was also expanded.
Between 2002 and 2004, many stores were opened and closed in the mall. Popular stores Zany Brainy
and Nobody Beats the Wiz
closed in 2003. In 2003 and 2004, several eateries in the food court were closed and replaced, including Burger King
(which is now Wendy's
), Arby's
(now a sushi eatery), and a specialty Mexican eatery (now Taco Bell
). The Animal Shop was also replaced with Cold Stone Creamery
, My Favorite Muffin was replaced with a Mr. Smoothie, and Compact Disc World was replaced with Jos. A Bank. The mall's food court also includes one of the few Chick-fil-A's in New Jersey. Build-A-Bear Workshop
also opened in 2002 and is now one of the mall's most popular attractions. FAO Schwartz, a popular toy store, was closed and replaced with various stores, including Bailey Banks and Biddle. In early 2004. Apple opened its first mall store in New Jersey, and Sharper Image also opened that year. Sony Style then opened its second mall store in New Jersey in 2005.
In 2007, the mall began to go in the direction of fewer but larger stores, as opposed to its previous "numerous small stores" image. Because of this, several small, specialty stores were closed and popular stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch
. Victoria's Secret
, Express
, Arie, The Gap, and New York and Company were expanded in their places in the spring and summer of 2007, and Sephora
was opened in early spring 2007. In the fall of 2007, large stores of H&M
and Hollister
were added to the mall. The new, extended stores are extremely large, in particular the Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch stores, which take up large sections of the Macy's wing. Also, an arcade, called Game World, opened ajacent to the movie theater at this time, too. It closed in early 2010.
The mall continued to revamp itself, such as the expanded food court dining area in the fall of 2005, an interactive floor game in the spring of 2006, and several new carpeted soft seating areas in 2006, only which are only on the lower level. The mall also revamped its decor in 2005 and 2006, along with adding soft, carpeted seating areas, and moved several of its stores in 2006 and 2007, including Payless ShoeSource
and The Gap
. Twisters Pretzels, which was part of the mall's landscape for 10 years under the staircase, closed in 2007 and was never replaced. Also, in Fall 2009, the Old Navy, in the upper Macy's wing, underwent massive renovations where new fitting rooms and restrooms were added, along with a reconfigured checkout area. An Auntie Anne's opened in Fall 2009 underneath the staircase. Recently, Cineplex Odeon
has closed for renovations to convert to AMC Fork And Screen. The 12 theatres will also be converted to stadium seating.
U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey
U.S. Route 1 is a United States highway which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida in the south to Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, of it runs through New Jersey...
and Parsonage Road in Edison, New Jersey
Edison, New Jersey
Edison Township is a township in Middlesex County, New Jersey. What is now Edison Township was originally incorporated as Raritan Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1870, from portions of both Piscataway Township and Woodbridge Township...
, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area
Gross leasable area
Gross leasable area in the retail development industry is a term applied to shopping malls, lifestyle centers, outlet malls and other retail centers to indicate the amount of floor space available to be rented...
of 1,232,000 ft² (114,000 m²). Menlo Park Mall is currently owned by the Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
.
History
Menlo Park Shopping Center opened in September 1959, as an open-air complex. It was named after the Menlo Park area of Edison, where Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
had his famous laboratory, the site of which is about two miles (3 km) from the shopping venue. The structure was fully enclosed between June 1966 and December 1967. After the remodeling, it was renamed Menlo Park Mall.
The original center was anchored by Bamberger's
Bamberger's
Bamberger's was a department store chain with locations primarily in New Jersey, but also Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. The chain was headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.-History:Founded in 1893 by Louis Bamberger as L...
, Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
(opened May 1960), a small, dry goods only, JCPenney, a two-level Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
, as well as two grocery stores: ShopRite
ShopRite (United States)
ShopRite Supermarkets is a retailers' cooperative chain of supermarkets in the northeastern United States, with stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
(later a Pathmark
Pathmark
Pathmark is a supermarket chain headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey. It was founded in 1968 when its then parent, Supermarkets General Corporation, pulled out of the ShopRite retailers' cooperative...
), and Pantry Pride(?), later a Big Buy.
Originally a one level structure, the fully enclosed mall (post-1967) had a lack of skylights, with only shaded windows along the sides of the ceiling. The low lighting made the interior quite dark, as was customary with interior malls of the time. The flooring was quite unique in that there were patterns of orange, black, yellow and white throughout the mall.
The Montgomery Ward space was taken over by Alexander's
Alexander's
Alexander's was a department store chain in the New York metropolitan area. Catering to low- and middle-income consumers, Alexander's offered discounted designer fashions and high-quality private label goods. At its height, the company operated 16 stores. Its advertising slogan was "You'll find...
in 1972. J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
moved to Woodbridge Center
Woodbridge Center
Woodbridge Center is a two-level, major shopping mall located in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9. The land that Woodbridge Center now stands on used to be the location of the old clay pits in Woodbridge. The mall, owned by General Growth...
in 1981. Bamberger's was rebranded by Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
in October 1986. When Alexander's
Alexander's
Alexander's was a department store chain in the New York metropolitan area. Catering to low- and middle-income consumers, Alexander's offered discounted designer fashions and high-quality private label goods. At its height, the company operated 16 stores. Its advertising slogan was "You'll find...
went out of business, the mall was able to secure the 2nd Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
in the state of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, but changes had to be made to prepare for the opening.
Most of the mall was closed from 1990-1991, when it underwent a significant renovation and expansion that converted it from a single-story structure into its current two-story form. In expanding and fitting into the space, the new Menlo Park Mall was built on an angle with the vertex occurring at center court. The new Menlo Park Mall was also changed to have galleria style skylights, domed fountain courts, marble flooring, dramatic lighting, sculptures and a large, skylit food court. Two parking decks were also added, as was a 12 Screen Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon
Cineplex Odeon Corporation was one of North America's largest movie theatre operators, with theatres in its home country of Canada and the United States...
movie theatre, which replaced the smaller Menlo Park Cinema on Route 1 (which was later replaced by Romano's Macaroni Grill
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Romano's Macaroni Grill is an Italian-style chain of casual dining restaurants with locations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The first restaurant was founded by Texas restaurateur Philip J. Romano in Leon Springs, Texas, on April 19, 1988. Brinker International bought the...
). Macy's was the only store to remain open during the primary expansion.
In the media
While not featured, the mall's name was mentioned in Kevin SmithKevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's films Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
and Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy
Chasing Amy is a 1997 romantic comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith. The central tension revolves around sexuality, sexual history, and evolving friendships. It is the third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series....
, both of which take place in Central Jersey
Central Jersey
Central Jersey is a common designation for a region of the state of New Jersey in the United States of America. Trenton is considered the boundary between designated "North Jersey" and "South Jersey"...
areas. An episode of Comedy Central's Upright Citizen's Brigade was filmed in the Menlo Park Mall. The Scott and Todd Big Show on radio station WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
sponsored a contest in April 2007, in which five contestants had to live in a makeshift prison in the mall for five days with the winner receiving a $5,000 shopping spree and a vacation to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
.
Following the shooting of an employee on September 7, 2007, the Gymboree store temporarily closed, but reopened shortly thereafter.
Anchors & majors
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(337,591 ft2) - NordstromNordstromNordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
(190,000 ft2) - Barnes & Noble Booksellers
- The Cheesecake FactoryThe Cheesecake FactoryThe Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
- AMC Theaters
Tenants
The mall's original anchor storeAnchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
was Bamberger's
Bamberger's
Bamberger's was a department store chain with locations primarily in New Jersey, but also Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. The chain was headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.-History:Founded in 1893 by Louis Bamberger as L...
, now Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(occupying 337,591 sq ft) and a more recent addition to the mall is Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
(occupying 190,000 sq ft.). Over the years, Menlo Park Mall has sought tenants that market to upscale shoppers like Club Monaco
Club Monaco
Club Monaco is a mid-priced, high-end casual clothing retailer owned by Polo Ralph Lauren. With more than 69 stores in North America, the retailer has locations in Canada, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, China, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United...
, Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
, Banana Republic, Kenneth Cole
Kenneth Cole (designer)
Kenneth Cole is an American clothing designer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his father, Charles Cole, owned the El Greco shoe manufacturing company. Before learning the family business and starting his own company in 1982, Cole studied law at Emory University.- Birth of a shoe company :Kenneth Cole...
, Lucky Brand Jeans
Lucky Brand Jeans
Lucky Brand Jeans is a designer denim company founded in Vernon, California, United States in 1990 by Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman. Lucky Brand is a subsidiary of the Liz Claiborne fashion company. Lucky also produces sportswear, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear. Lucky Brand products are...
, Swarovski
Swarovski
Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precisely-cut crystal and related luxury products produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria...
, Zara
Zara (clothing)
Zara is a Spanish clothing and accessories retailer based in Arteixo, Galicia, and founded in 1975 by Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera. It is the flagship chain store of the Inditex group; the fashion group also owns brands such as Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear, Oysho, Uterqüe, Stradivarius and...
, Guess, Armani Exchange, H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
, and Hollister
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...
. Menlo Park has also brought in various entertainment and dining options to keep the mall populated after regular hours such as Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
, The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
, the Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants,...
, a 12-screen AMC/Cineplex Odeon Dine-In Theatre
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
, Fox & Hound, Romano's Macaroni Grill
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Romano's Macaroni Grill is an Italian-style chain of casual dining restaurants with locations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The first restaurant was founded by Texas restaurateur Philip J. Romano in Leon Springs, Texas, on April 19, 1988. Brinker International bought the...
and Benihana
Benihana
Benihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
.
Expansion and renovation
The mall has been extensively expanded and renovated starting in 1999, when a new wing was remerchandised, the lower level west wing. The wing had previously contained a Linens 'N ThingsLinens 'n Things
Linens 'n Things is an online retailer of home textiles, housewares and decorative home accessories. Until 2008, the company also did business as a big box retailer under the name Linens 'n Things, Inc., headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey, United States, and did business across the United States...
and Herman's World of Sporting Goods
Herman's World of Sporting Goods
Herman's World Of Sporting Goods was a sporting goods retailer in the United States. It was founded by Herman Steinlauf in 1916 as a music store. At one time, there was a gentleman's agreement with west coast competitor Oshman's Sporting Goods, that the Herman's chain would stay east of the...
. Both had eventually closed and as a result of the remerchandising, Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants,...
opened at the end of the wing and is one of the mall's largest and most successful restaurants. After the closure of a furniture store in the former Linens 'N Things, Steve & Barry's opened in 2006. Now that the Steve & Barry's franchise is out of business, that spot is now again a Fortunoff furniture store. Additional stores located in this wing consist of Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
, a now closed pretzel shop called Pretzel Time, a unisex hair salon, a dollar store, a smoothie shop, and a small art gallery.
In 2002, construction began on the entrance near Nordstrom facing Parsonage Road. This entrance was temporarily closed for the construction of Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
and Cheesecake Factory, both of which opened in early 2003. The front parking lot was also expanded.
Between 2002 and 2004, many stores were opened and closed in the mall. Popular stores Zany Brainy
Zany Brainy
Zany Brainy was a United States retail store chain owned by FAO Schwarz that sold educational toys and multi-media products aimed at children ages 4–12...
and Nobody Beats the Wiz
Nobody Beats The Wiz
The Wiz was a chain of electronic stores in the northeastern United States, located primarily in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Some locations were in Canada as well. The chain was founded by four brothers, Douglas, Lawrence, Marvin, and Stephan Jemal, in New York City in 1977...
closed in 2003. In 2003 and 2004, several eateries in the food court were closed and replaced, including Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
(which is now Wendy's
Wendy's
Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc since 2008...
), Arby's
Arby's
Arby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
(now a sushi eatery), and a specialty Mexican eatery (now Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
). The Animal Shop was also replaced with Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American-based ice cream parlor chain. The company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is owned and operated by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. The company's main product is premium ice cream, or ice cream made with approximately 12-14% butterfat, that is made on location and...
, My Favorite Muffin was replaced with a Mr. Smoothie, and Compact Disc World was replaced with Jos. A Bank. The mall's food court also includes one of the few Chick-fil-A's in New Jersey. Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop is an American retailer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and customized during their visit to the store, and is the...
also opened in 2002 and is now one of the mall's most popular attractions. FAO Schwartz, a popular toy store, was closed and replaced with various stores, including Bailey Banks and Biddle. In early 2004. Apple opened its first mall store in New Jersey, and Sharper Image also opened that year. Sony Style then opened its second mall store in New Jersey in 2005.
In 2007, the mall began to go in the direction of fewer but larger stores, as opposed to its previous "numerous small stores" image. Because of this, several small, specialty stores were closed and popular stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
. Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
, Express
Express (store)
EXPRESS is an American fashion retailer headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and New York, New York. Express operates over 550 stores in the United States and generates $1.8 billion in annual sales.-History:...
, Arie, The Gap, and New York and Company were expanded in their places in the spring and summer of 2007, and Sephora
Sephora
Sephora is a chain of cosmetics stores founded in France in 1970 and acquired by Paris-based conglomerate LVMH in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 750 stores in 17 countries...
was opened in early spring 2007. In the fall of 2007, large stores of H&M
H&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
and Hollister
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...
were added to the mall. The new, extended stores are extremely large, in particular the Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch stores, which take up large sections of the Macy's wing. Also, an arcade, called Game World, opened ajacent to the movie theater at this time, too. It closed in early 2010.
The mall continued to revamp itself, such as the expanded food court dining area in the fall of 2005, an interactive floor game in the spring of 2006, and several new carpeted soft seating areas in 2006, only which are only on the lower level. The mall also revamped its decor in 2005 and 2006, along with adding soft, carpeted seating areas, and moved several of its stores in 2006 and 2007, including Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource
Payless ShoeSource is a discount footwear retailer founded in Topeka, Kansas in 1956 that is owned by Collective Brands, Inc. In 1961, it became a public company as the Volume Shoe Corporation which merged with the May Department Stores Company in 1979. In the 1980s, Payless was widely known in the...
and The Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
. Twisters Pretzels, which was part of the mall's landscape for 10 years under the staircase, closed in 2007 and was never replaced. Also, in Fall 2009, the Old Navy, in the upper Macy's wing, underwent massive renovations where new fitting rooms and restrooms were added, along with a reconfigured checkout area. An Auntie Anne's opened in Fall 2009 underneath the staircase. Recently, Cineplex Odeon
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
has closed for renovations to convert to AMC Fork And Screen. The 12 theatres will also be converted to stadium seating.
External links
- Menlo Park Mall
- Menlo Park Mall, International Council of Shopping CentersInternational Council of Shopping CentersFounded in 1957, the International Council of Shopping Centers is the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Its 60,000 members in the U.S., Canada and more than 80 other countries include shopping center owners, developers, managers, marketing specialists, investors, lenders,...