Galleria at Sunset remakes mall concept to attract variety of visitors

With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road, is scheduled to add the final touches to its $24 million expansion.

New signage is set to be installed at the 19-year-old facility's five entrances on Stephanie Street, Galleria Drive and Sunset Road. It will feature a new font style and the mall's new logo.

"It's going to have a really nice, updated look," mall marketing director Heather FitzGerald said.

That work, scheduled to be completed by mid-November, is part of a 30,000-square-foot expansion that was finished in November 2014 and is slated to eventually house six new restaurants.

Three of the eateries are up and running. Bravo! Cucina Italiana opened May 28, Larsen's Grill opened June 10, and Gen Korean BBQ House opened Aug. 20. The names of the other three restaurants have not yet been released.

"They could start opening as early as spring 2016," FitzGerald said.

The two other restaurants at the mall are Chevy's Fresh Mex and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Brews.

Having full-service restaurants provides options for people who might work up an appetite while shopping but may not be in the mood for grabbing a bite at the food court, said Ty Brock, general manager of Larsen's Grill.

"We get people who would normally want to come to the restaurant but also want to do some shopping," he said. "We also get people that will shop at the mall, and after a couple of hours of trekking around, will come into the restaurant for food and beverages."

Shoppers aren't the only ones to benefit from restaurants in retail settings.

"It's been great for us, and we get foot traffic from the mall," Brock said.

Adding to the variety of dining options helps the mall stay viable by offering more than shopping opportunities, said Curt Fickeisen, general manager of the facility.

"Malls today are sort of going through a metamorphosis," he said. "Malls are having to reinvent themselves to become sort of entertainment-oriented to attract a larger audience. It's what we have been doing the last couple of years."

A 12,000-square-foot outdoor plaza was part of the mall's expansion, allowing all of the new restaurants to feature patio seating, FitzGerald said.

"We're getting a really great evening crowd because the plaza is beautiful at night," she said. "It's lit up, and there's outside seating and a really pretty waterfall. We're getting little aspects of a nightlife that we never really had before."

The mall also underwent a $7 million renovation in 2013 that included new lighting; new flooring; upgraded restrooms; a family restroom with private nursing rooms and a family waiting area; and a new guest services center.

Visit galleriaatsunset.com.

— To reach Henderson View reporter Cassandra Keenan, email her at ckeenan@viewnews.com or call 702-383-0278. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraKNews.