Shopping Centers Stepping Up Their Game To Appeal To ShoppersCHARLOTTE, N.C.-- Cinebarre C.E.O. Terrell Braly hopes to serve about a thousand meals an hour in his new South Charlotte theatre, "Its a cinema, its a bar, and the extra are on the end, it's a restaurant," he said. It's one of the newest businesses in the Arboretum. Portofino's Italian Restaurant, Versona Accessories and Sonny's Barbecue recently moved in. The shopping center says it's becoming a dining and entertainment destination. "Clearly the shopping center itself has changed quite a bit," said Aston Properties President George Dewey. In order to compete with online shopping and malls, shopping centers across Charlotte are sprucing up to create an atmosphere where people want to shop and stay. "I think that's a trend that we'll probably see continue," Dewey said. New owners bought the Park Road Shopping Center last year. The developer plans to add outdoor seating and expand sidewalk dining. South Charlotte resident Tom Kudo said "So basically you're trying to take a landmark in Charlotte and try to change it. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes its not." Back at Cinnebarre, a million dollar kitchen will cook up everything from salads to pizza and of course, popcorn. "A different experience... an addition to...rather than an instead of," said Braly. Cinebarre hopes to open its doors to movie goers by August 10th. |
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