urbanMSP

I'm also curious what's going to go there. That Kokomo Island place always seemed dead every time I walked past it. Famous Dave's however is interesting, seemed to be doing good business. And not really any other BBQ options in the mall that I can recall.

My in-laws and I would eat at Kokomo Island every single Mother's Day after doing the walk. It was the only time we ever went there and the only time we ever considered going there. Even with the Mom's Day crowd crush, it wasn't busy.

Too bad, though. The food is delicious.

My family was in town and I ate there for the first time ever a few weeks ago. The food wasn't spectacular but the ambiance is kind of cool. I actually made a comment that day that I wondered how they stayed open. I did go salsa dancing there at one point, they would stay open well past mall close for that.

I'm also curious what's going to go there. That Kokomo Island place always seemed dead every time I walked past it. Famous Dave's however is interesting, seemed to be doing good business. And not really any other BBQ options in the mall that I can recall.

There's Tony Roma's for ribs, though it's not a dedicated BBQ place like Famous Daves.

Based on the Star Tribune article, it doesn't' sound like Famous Dave's had a choice (perhaps neither did?)
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/ta ... 12361.html

...Franchisee Tim Buffham, who operates the Famous Dave’s and the Kokomo Island Cafe with his wife, Pat, initially said Tuesday morning that any departure “has not been confirmed. We’re in the middle of negotiations with the mall.”

However, by early afternoon, Buffham acknowledged that “we are going to close in the near future. We have not set a date yet.”

The imminent closing of Famous Dave’s at the mall was met with disappointment at the restaurant’s corporate headquarters in Minnetonka.

“With Minneapolis as our hometown, we consider the Mall of America as an iconic location,” said Famous Dave’s spokesman Richard Pawlowski. “We would be disappointed if Famous Dave’s didn’t have a presence there.”...

Time for that eluded Downtown Famous Dave's to be announced soon??

Sounds like they'll look into other locations at the mall, perhaps the empty space on the 4th floor where 400 bar was going to be?

Has anyone heard where the "Rainforest Café" is moving into?

Has anyone heard where the "Rainforest Café" is moving into?

The jungle-themed restaurant said it will close its current first-floor location at MOA Jan. 18, with plans to open what it calls a "new and improved" restaurant along the megamall's third-floor restaurant row in the fall.

http://www.twincities.com/restaurants/c ... ll-america

Apparently next to Bubba Gump according to this article. So not the space vacated by Famous Daves and Kokomos.

Has anyone heard where the "Rainforest Café" is moving into?

They're going across from Bubba Gump, next to Buffalo Wild Wings.

In news that should surprise nobody, the superbowl CEO and former MOA exec wants to move more events to the megamall because she thinks there's not enough space in downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul.

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 18291.html

The only event she wants at the mall is the media party (whatever that is). Sounds like she's moving media day with the players from St. Paul back to Minneapolis though.

Famous Dave's at the mall was always bad. Will not miss it.

The only event she wants at the mall is the media party (whatever that is). Sounds like she's moving media day with the players from St. Paul back to Minneapolis though.

One of the subheaders in the article was "Seeking sprawling spaces". Doesn't give me much hope.

The only event she wants at the mall is the media party (whatever that is). Sounds like she's moving media day with the players from St. Paul back to Minneapolis though.

I didn't really see anything in this article that made me shudder. Why is there so much dislike for the suburbs on this forum?
I love the City and proudly live in it. But it seems odd that we lament those who hate the city, but yet do the same with regards to the suburbs.

In the article, she mentioned that the Minneapolis Convention Center may not be large enough for the events planned. That's her job - to sort through all that stuff! MOA and the hotels surrounding it will and should be used for events! It can't all happen in downtown Minneapolis...

Looks like MOA will no longer be the largest mall in the US! The same owners are building a larger one in Miami. Does this mean phase 1C is the final phase? Or will the complete phase 2 still happen?

http://bringmethenews.com/2015/03/06/sk ... gest-mall/

American Dream is New Jersey, not Miami. It's also been rumored for at least 5 years as a friend of mine who worked for MOA was going to go for a job at this new Mall when/if it opened.

*EDIT* Interesting, I just saw the article in the Miami Herald... even the American Dream website says "views of the New York City skyline" from the observation wheel. The address in the contact section is also New Jersey. This seems odd :-/.

There's an American Dream in New Jersey, but the one this article is talking about would be a new one, and it would be in Miami.

Considering American Dream in New Jersey had to be bailed out (and still hasn't even opened) it's probably a terrible idea for anyone to be considering building a brand new mall in the US, let alone one bigger than MoA.

Looks like MOA will no longer be the largest mall in the US! The same owners are building a larger one in Miami. Does this mean phase 1C is the final phase? Or will the complete phase 2 still happen?

http://bringmethenews.com/2015/03/06/sk ... gest-mall/

I doubt the MOA owners are just going to stop their plans. These have been in the works for over 10 years.

As far as the new mall - I'll believe it when I see it. Recall that the MOA was originally planned to be MUCH larger than the present structure. Various hurdles stopped that from happening, and I think some of those articles about the new Miami American Dream Mall are completely conceptual "arm-chair imagineering" at this point -- essentially what they would build if they didn't have any constraints.

Especially when you read the article on the "General Suburb Topics" talking about the death/rebirth of American malls.