Forgoing the usual ribbon cutting, ZCMI Center will instead cut a giant sandwich on Monday, May 4, to officially launch its new 35,000-square-foot, three-story atrium, The Park Food Court.
A dozen chefs will simultaneously slice into a 20-foot submarine sandwich at the 11 a.m. ceremony, after which bite-size pieces will be handed out for guests to sample.The new food court, in the space formerly occupied by the open-air plaza on South Temple between O.C. Tanner and Deseret Book, already has signed nine tenants with only four more leases left open, said Mel Pearson, mall manager.
Those signed include Blimpie's, Burger King, Cambridge Corner Bakery, Chang Chun, The Cow Frozen Yogurt, Edo Japan, Jumping Bean Cafe, Sbarro's Italian Eatery and Scully's Bread and Chowder.
Architects were California firm Feola, Deenihan, Archuleta Architects. The project took four years with three redesigns and more than 31,200 hours of architectural time, said Pearson.
The firm took the existing outdoor plaza and incorporated the results of more than 18 months of customer research - including 382 skylight window panes - into their plans. A total of 625 live plants and trees create the feel of a botanical garden.
Total seating capacity in the food court is 774 at 387 tables.
"The ZCMI Center's significant investment in The Park Food Court is Utah's most recent major effort specifically designed to help a mall break into the $35 billion per year fast-food business," said Pearson.
He explained that in recent years shopping centers have clustered eating establishments in a central area where they could more easily succeed because of the steady volume of pedestrian traffic. Pearson said a food court is now considered a major "anchor" tenant for malls because it attracts business volume as does a department store.
"Customers benefit from the availability of a wide selection of ethnic and all-American foods, and vendors benefit from sharing decorating, seating and cleaning costs," said Pearson.
The variety of foods offered in food courts reflects changing eating habits among shoppers, who have more interest in ethnic and healthful foods and less in "quick-and-greasy kind of fare."
Zions Securities Corp. is the developer/manager of the 600,000-square-foot ZCMI Center and the new The Park Food Court. "Zions Securities is eager to preserve the vitality of downtown Salt Lake City," said Pearson. "The ZCMI Center renovations reflect that commitment."
Pearson said management wants the new food court to become a customer destination on its own merits and is scheduling evening "Concerts in The Park" as well as encouraging various clubs to hold their monthly meetings in The Park.