Steakhouse Bringing New Life To Franklin Park Mall’s Future
Even while it’s still under construction, a new restaurant at Franklin Park Mall is already being credited with bringing new life to the shopping center and casting a brighter outlook for the holiday shopping season.
Outback Steakhouse is expected to open in early December. The restaurant will hire 90 employees for a wide range of postions before the end of November. Interviewing started this week.
“This addition gives the mall a lift and positions it for further growth,” said Keith Kaiser, director of property services for the Norman Company, which manages Franklin Park Mall.
It also raises the occupancy rate at the mall from a “too low” 80 percent to 90 percent, says Wendy LePiane, mall marketing director.
Bringing in the steakhouse is equal to luring four new long-term tenants to fill mall space, says LePiane.
Outback Steakhouse is an Australian-themed family restaurant with aboriginal-style artwork, and pictures of native wildlife and scenery on the walls.
The menu emphasizes “uniquely seasoned” steaks and the house specialty: a deep-fried blooming onion. There’s also a full bar featuring Australian beers and wines, as well as Northwest selections, according to manager Steve Heinle.
The steakhouse is expected to raise traffic in other mall shops as well.
“Diners will be given beepers so they can walk around and shop while waiting for their table,” says LePiane.
The shopping center was built in 1979 and was the first enclosed mall on the North Side. Anchors include Montgomery Ward, Ross Dress for Less and PayLess Drug.
Four existing mall businesses were relocated to make room for the new restaurant: Merle Norman Cosmetics, Julie’s Hallmark, Franklin Park Florist and William Grant Gallery.
Marcia Hudson, owner of the cosmetics store, is looking forward to Outback Steakhouse opening.
“It’s exciting because the mall is showing real movement,” said Hudson who has been at Franklin Park for six years.
“We’ve had a lot of people in here who have been to that restaurant in other cities, and they have all said how wonderful it is,” she said.
Kowalski’s Deli, a fixture in the mall for 14 years, has moved to the Northtown Office Building, 4407 N. Division.
“We are very much open,” says owner Ron Haight.
Neither Haight nor mall management is elaborating on the deli’s departure, but both say it had nothing to do with the arrival of the steakhouse.
The Outback Steakhouse chain, based in Florida, is one of the fastest growing in the country, with 350 restaurants nationwide, nine of those in the Northwest.
, DataTimes