Pinnacle Hills Promenade

[Julles]

I'm just glad that I won't have to drag my family to Fayetteville or Springdale to enjoy some indoor family fun, Benton County just plain sucks for that, unless you enjoy Frisco Station Mall as much as I do (sarcasm).

I just checked IT'Z website and, although they still have Arkansas listed for a future location, nothing about NWA is mentioned. The same with Great American Pizza Company.

I e-mailed Incredible Pizza Company, which is based in Tulsa, and got this response today. Quote:

There is an investor currently looking at the Northwest Arkansas area and we hope to have a location open by the end of this year or early 2008.

Incredible Pizza Company is a really nice chain; I've been to the one in Tulsa. Some locations have bowling alleys as well as carnival rides, bumper cars, and the usual arcade games. In addition, they have an extensive pizza, pasta, baked potato, salad and dessert bar.

[mcheiss]

So Arkansas Student any idea on when were going to hear about the SuperTarget announcement?

[masons_dad1]

I e-mailed Incredible Pizza Company, which is based in Tulsa, and got this response today. Quote:

There is an investor currently looking at the Northwest Arkansas area and we hope to have a location open by the end of this year or early 2008.

Incredible Pizza Company is a really nice chain; I've been to the one in Tulsa. Some locations have bowling alleys as well as carnival rides, bumper cars, and the usual arcade games. In addition, they have an extensive pizza, pasta, baked potato, salad and dessert bar.

That's AWESOME!!! I made the mistake of calling "America's Incredible Pizza Company" the "Great American Pizza Company", but I'm glad you posted this information. I can't hardly wait! I just hope they choos Rogers or Bentonville for their location since Fayetteville and Springdale already have similar places.

[MDW]

Does anyone know if Mimi's Cafe is open yet?

[mcheiss]

Does anyone know if Mimi's Cafe is open yet?

The sign was lit up on the building when I went up there yesterday. My guess is yes.

[Julles]

Does anyone know if Mimi's Cafe is open yet?

I don't think so. As of Saturday night, it wasn't open. The banner out front still says "Now Hiring".

[aerotive]

Too bad about the Fayetteville Target not becoming a legitimate Super Target. I like Target a lot (great clearance deals and mostly high quality goods) but it has so few services compared with a Super Center. No deli, limited grocery selection, no auto center, no photo lab, no bank/hair salon/optometrist, no gas station, and crummy hours.

It's be nice to have another grocery store to compete with Walmart. Harps is ok but their prices are high. IGA has some good things (esp sandwiches) but they aren't convenient to me and it's rundown. Aldi's has the ambiance of shopping in East Germany circa 1965, though they sometimes have good tech deals.

While I'm on a rant I'd also like a Costco and a Whole Foods. And Sam's to hurry up and move to Fayetteville.

[masons_dad1]

Too bad about the Fayetteville Target not becoming a legitimate Super Target. I like Target a lot (great clearance deals and mostly high quality goods) but it has so few services compared with a Super Center. No deli, limited grocery selection, no auto center, no photo lab, no bank/hair salon/optometrist, no gas station, and crummy hours.

It's be nice to have another grocery store to compete with Walmart. Harps is ok but their prices are high. IGA has some good things (esp sandwiches) but they aren't convenient to me and it's rundown. Aldi's has the ambiance of shopping in East Germany circa 1965, though they sometimes have good tech deals.

While I'm on a rant I'd also like a Costco and a Whole Foods. And Sam's to hurry up and move to Fayetteville.

Costco would be a cool addition to NWA and a direct competitor for Wal-Mart.

[Mith242]

Too bad about the Fayetteville Target not becoming a legitimate Super Target. I like Target a lot (great clearance deals and mostly high quality goods) but it has so few services compared with a Super Center. No deli, limited grocery selection, no auto center, no photo lab, no bank/hair salon/optometrist, no gas station, and crummy hours.

It's be nice to have another grocery store to compete with Walmart. Harps is ok but their prices are high. IGA has some good things (esp sandwiches) but they aren't convenient to me and it's rundown. Aldi's has the ambiance of shopping in East Germany circa 1965, though they sometimes have good tech deals.

While I'm on a rant I'd also like a Costco and a Whole Foods. And Sam's to hurry up and move to Fayetteville.

Target isn't any cheaper than Harp's on groceries is it? I don't buy groceries there too often but it seemed to me that overall they were more expensive. But anyway I do get what you're saying. It does still seem rather odd to have such limited competition in that area. especially considering how much growth we've had.

[mcheiss]

Target isn't any cheaper than Harp's on groceries is it? I don't buy groceries there too often but it seemed to me that overall they were more expensive. But anyway I do get what you're saying. It does still seem rather odd to have such limited competition in that area. especially considering how much growth we've had.

IMO, Harps is cheaper than SuperTarget prices. Since Target has to get it's groceries from a third party, it costs a bit more to supply groceries than say a Wal-Mart. It's said in the biz that Target makes barely anything off of the groceries. They only provide groceries as a convienance and a gimmick to it's customers.

[Mith242]

IMO, Harps is cheaper than SuperTarget prices. Since Target has to get it's groceries from a third party, it costs a bit more to supply groceries than say a Wal-Mart. It's said in the biz that Target makes barely anything off of the groceries. They only provide groceries as a convienance and a gimmick to it's customers.

That wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure Wal-mart does the same thing in other instances. Harp's has it's own items that it basically makes nothing on to be more competitive with Wal-mart.

[Aporkalypse]

IMO, Harps is cheaper than SuperTarget prices. Since Target has to get it's groceries from a third party, it costs a bit more to supply groceries than say a Wal-Mart. It's said in the biz that Target makes barely anything off of the groceries. They only provide groceries as a convienance and a gimmick to it's customers.

Are WM's prices rising? It has seemed to me increasingly that it is basically equal to Kroger when I used to think it was much less.

Target does offer a lot of different items than you would typically find at WM or even Harp's. I think it's targeting (awful pun, I know) a different audience. It's a great place to shop for quirky organics but it's tough to find Cookie Crunch and Tostitos, if you get my drift.

I think Super WMs do a better job of functioning as everyday grocery stores.

The biggest problem I usually have with buying groceries at supercenters is the lines at the registers. They're usually quite a bit worse than regular grocers or even Targets.

[mcheiss]

Are WM's prices rising? It has seemed to me increasingly that it is basically equal to Kroger when I used to think it was much less.

Target does offer a lot of different items than you would typically find at WM or even Harp's. I think it's targeting (awful pun, I know) a different audience. It's a great place to shop for quirky organics but it's tough to find Cookie Crunch and Tostitos, if you get my drift.

I think Super WMs do a better job of functioning as everyday grocery stores.

The biggest problem I usually have with buying groceries at supercenters is the lines at the registers. They're usually quite a bit worse than regular grocers or even Targets.

SuperTarget doesn't focus on grocery as much say Wal-Mart does. Prices have gone up but they've also gone down. We've been relatively cheaper or at part with Kroger, Harps, Fred Meyer, Publix, etc. Albertsons's, King Soupers, etc are still a bit more pricy than Wal-Marts. Wal-Marts are more geared towards everyday products and grocery items, while Target forcuses on clothing and home based products. They're the same concept but appealing to customers in different ways.

[RAK]

Wish we had a meyers

[masons_dad1]

Wal-Mart has quite a few organics on their shelves, but Wal-Mart needs to improve the signage and displays for these items. Hopefully with more and more display specialists opening business in NWA this will change. I believe the Design Center of Rogers specializes in merchandise displays. Has anyone seen all the organic chocolate bars in Wal-Mart's candy section? Really not bad prices at all compared to Targets and other more expensive grocers.

[mcheiss]

Eddie Bauer is now confirmed for the Promenade. I checked plumbing plans today and it shows that one is to be built off Perry Road. That tells me that it won't be in a "White Big Box Retail Space" but instead on the outer rim section by PF Changs and such.

[KJW]

I believe the Design Center of Rogers specializes in merchandise displays.

Hmmm...ANOTHER design company in Rogers...

[nwa_479]

I want to see an Urban Outfitters come to the Promenade. That would be pretty cool.

[mzweig]

I want to see an Urban Outfitters come to the Promenade. That would be pretty cool.

I agree. That would be great. They would do well here.

[zman9810]

I'm curious as to how much the recent weather conditions have affected customer traffic at the Promenade. I've always been puzzled by the decision to make it an open air mall. NWA's weather is so hit and miss that it must have been considered in the planning process.

[mcheiss]

I'm curious as to how much the recent weather conditions have affected customer traffic at the Promenade. I've always been puzzled by the decision to make it an open air mall. NWA's weather is so hit and miss that it must have been considered in the planning process.

They built it open air because that's the way malls are built these days. Only one closed mall opened last year and it happened to be the Turtle Creek Mall in Jonesboro, Ar. Sales dip down in the winter but they easily make it back up in spring and summer.

[thewizard16]

They built it open air because that's the way malls are built these days. Only one closed mall opened last year and it happened to be the Turtle Creek Mall in Jonesboro, Ar. Sales dip down in the winter but they easily make it back up in spring and summer.

The new mall in Des Moines (developed through the same group as the Pinnacle Hills Promenade... you can see the similarities) is mostly enclosed... it has a main big enclosed building and a few outparcel "big box" retailers, and it just opened. Of course that's Iowa, and their winters routinely see two foot snowstorms, so I guess that'd be a little more disruptive than 2 1/2 inches. I prefer enclosed malls, too bad they're becoming outdated.

[zman9810]

They built it open air because that's the way malls are built these days. Only one closed mall opened last year and it happened to be the Turtle Creek Mall in Jonesboro, Ar. Sales dip down in the winter but they easily make it back up in spring and summer.

I'm sure not a developer making the hard financial decisions, but building it open air just because some other developer built their's that way doesn't seem like sound reasoning. I imagine there have been consumer studies done backing the decision to build it that way, but I wonder if the local market conditions were taken into account? Not only the winter weather, but the hot humid weather NWA endures each summer? An enclosed mall is just a more comfortable environment to be in. Just my honest opinion.

[Mith242]

I don't know how this came about but yeah enclosed mall just aren't being built nowadays. Maybe it's just a backlash against what people think about in a 'typical' mall. Or maybe it's just people wanting something different. But even areas with worse summers or winters than use are building open air malls.

[vbfl85]

It seems like an open air mall would age better and be easier to update.