NWA Mall Locking Up Leases

Jeff Bishop at the Northwest Arkansas Mall tells us more than 14,000 SF of space has recently been leased up.

For the first time in a long time, the food court is 100 percent occupied, and it’s been filled out by a couple local businesses.

Flying Burrito, which already has two locations in Fayetteville and one each in Springdale, Bentonville and Little Rock, will be taking the former Sonic space of 663 SF that’s been vacant for a while.

Burger Krazy, a startup venture by the proprietors of current mall tenants Create-A-Bear and Dial N Style Phone Accessories, will take more than 1,000 SF formerly occupied by Steak Escape.

The big kahuna, though, is filling the 6,660 SF space currently home to the Malco Twin theater.

Bishop tells us the new tenant will be Gymnastics Joe’s, owned by Joe Garrett. Garrett runs a dance/cheer/gymnastics business in Springdale and will be open sometime in May or June after remodeling is complete.

Garrett was referred to the NWA Mall by Sam Mathias, a co-owner of the mall who was leasing space to Garrett in Springdale.

Gymnastics Joes will also host parties and special events in a family-oriented atmosphere. Bishop said Malco kept the twin theater open for leverage purposes, as number of screens in a market helps it negotiate with film companies.

Malco has plans to add four theaters to the 12-plex Razorback Theater that opened in late 2007, making the Twin expendable.

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Houndstooth Clothing Co., another local proprietor, is finally moving out of the concourse and into a fixed location. Houndstooth will take 989 SF at the former home of Pro Image next door to The Gap.

NStyle Accessories is taking over 3,924 SF formerly occupied by The Disney Store, which closed last July.

The NWA Mall has also added an Air National Guard recruiting office taking 823 SF across from Arvest Bank.

Last fall, a new AT&T store opened in 3,509 SF formerly occupied by an arcade and Garcia’s took over the restaurant space formerly home to Garfield’s.

Bishop said the occupancy rate at the mall is now “in the mid-90s,” which he said was close to the national average, but “we’re always looking to do better.”