Popular restaurant chain returning, five other retailers coming soon to Lehigh Valley Mall
After a turbulent 2020 and a rough start to 2021, the Lehigh Valley’s largest shopping center is on the upswing.
Lehigh Valley Mall, which bid farewell to more than a dozen businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, is set to welcome back Bravo! Italian Kitchen, a full-service restaurant that closed in March 2020, as well as introduce five businesses — Ardene, Harlem Vibes, Pepper Palace, Shake Shack and Slime Time — in the coming months.
Additionally, the Whitehall Township shopping mecca over the last few months has added a handful of other businesses to its retail roster, including Aslan Jewelers, The Beauty Institute | Schwarzkopf Professional, Hi Level Fashion and Toys Toys.
Bravo!, in one of the outdoor lifestyle center’s end units, is expected to reopen in late August or early September, according to Jon Peluso, Bravo!’s regional divisional vice president.
“We’ll be happy to be back there,” Peluso said. “It’s been a long time, and we’re excited to get this restaurant back open.”
The chain’s former parent company, FoodFirst Global Restaurants Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2020 after struggling for months due to labor costs, employee turnover and a large number of underperforming restaurants, according to court documents.
The coronavirus pandemic only exacerbated the situation for the company, which also operated the chain of Brio Italian Grille restaurants.
“FoodFirst’s difficult position prior to the pandemic makes its current situation even more precarious,” bankruptcy documents stated. “In order to save jobs and the viable restaurants, it will be necessary to pursue a company sale and an accompanying management services agreement.”
In June 2020, Earl Enterprises, the Orlando owner of Planet Hollywood, Buca di Beppo, Bertucci’s and other restaurant chains, announced it had acquired at least 45 leases from FoodFirst.
“We feel that there is a lot of growth in the brand but stage one is to restore it to its old glory,” Chairperson Robert Earl told the Orlando Sentinel last year.
The Whitehall restaurant, which will join more than two dozen Bravo! restaurants nationwide, including five other Pennsylvania outposts in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, will serve a menu “very similar” to its previous iteration, Peluso said.
Popular items included lasagna, chicken Parmesan, spaghetti Bolognese and grilled salmon.
The return of the chain’s only Lehigh Valley location will occur alongside the debut of five other Lehigh Valley Mall tenants. Businesses listed as “coming soon” to the mall include:
Ardene, a fashion retailer with more than 375 stores, selling clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry, activewear, intimates and more. The company, coming to the mall’s upper level next to Bath & Body Works, is inspired by the ever-changing world of its “customer, social media, pop culture, fashion, and beauty,” according to a message on the business’s website. “We believe that fashion shouldn’t be exclusive or intimidating; it should be celebrated with youthful confidence and fearless enthusiasm.”
Harlem Vibes, a men’s and women’s fashion retailer with a location in New Hartford, New York, selling jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, track pants, outerwear, sneakers, sandals and more. The business, coming to the former Lady Foot Locker space on the mall’s upper level, carries fashions from popular brands like Champion, Diamond Supply Co., Le Tigre and Sniper Gang. “Harlem Vibes was founded by a group of like-minded fashion devotees, determined to deliver style to shoppers worldwide,” a message on the business’s website reads.
Pepper Palace, with more than 100 retail locations in the United States and Canada, sells all-natural, hand-crafted and small-batch hot sauces, barbecue sauces, wing sauces, salsas, seasonings, dry rubs and more. The business, coming to the former Yankee Candle space in the mall’s outdoor lifestyle center, also sells jerky, dip and drink mixes, glazes and marinades, pickled goods, pepper relish and condiments. “Pepper Palace is a family owned business that has won hundreds of national awards for product, marketing and flavor,” a message on the business’s website reads.
Shake Shack, which describes itself as a “modern day roadside burger stand,” serves a classic American menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, crinkle-cut fries, shakes, frozen custard, beer and wine. The chain, which has approximately 320 locations worldwide, is coming to an under-construction building near Routes 145 and 22, next to the area’s first Dave & Buster’s restaurant and entertainment facility, which opened last year.
Slime Time, an interactive family-friendly business, will allow children of all ages to make their own slime, using glue and a few other household ingredients, according to a description on the mall’s website. The business, coming to the mall’s upper level next to Champs Sports, will feature a station of different scents, including cherry and cotton candy, and give children the satisfaction of sticking their fingers into slime and pulling them out to produce a “funny little slurping noise.” “Many young chemists or our little SlimeOlogist enjoy the process of making slime and wearing their lab coats and goggles and getting to work even more than playing on video games,” the description reads. “It helps that parents are for the most part supportive of their kids’ hobby, citing the creativity and hands-on nature of making different slimes. It gives children a place to play with all our sensory walls and all the different slime tanks provided!”
Prominent departures from the mall amid the pandemic included casual dining restaurants Frites and Ruby Tuesday, clothing chains Abercrombie & Fitch and New York & Co., candle company Yankee Candle, footwear retailer Clarks, Modell’s Sporting Goods, and jewelry chains Helzberg Diamonds and Littman Jewelers. Footwear retailer Aldo is set to close by the end of the month.
Despite bidding farewell to these tenants and more, it hasn’t been all bad news for the Lehigh Valley’s largest shopping center over the past year and a half.
About a dozen 2020 additions included arts and crafts chain Michaels; made-to-order doughnut and coffee business Dino Sweets; regional jeweler Murphy Jewelers; Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics, selling beauty and personal care products; Hairitage Beauty Salon, offering hair services for men and women; and Track 23, a fashion company offering contemporary men’s and women’s apparel and accessories.
