Local Eatery Among 4 New Restaurants Coming to KOP Mall

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal Kenneth Hilario

A Philadelphia-bred restaurant is one of the four eateries who have signed on to come to the King of Prussia Mall.

Hai Street Kitchen & Co. — with locations in University City and Center City — has joined the roster to open within the 155,000-square-foot expansion project that connects the Court with the Plaza.

A 700-square-foot Hai Street will join popular burger chain Shake Shack, which has multiple locations in Pennsylvania and in the Philadelphia region. Shake Shack will open a 1,864 square of space.

New to the Pennsylvania market will be New York-based Nicoletta Pizzeria, known for its homemade pizzas, pastas and gelatos; and Melt Shop, known for its gourmet grilled cheese, shakes and other comfort foods.

Nicoletta Pizzeria will take up 1,495 square feet of space. Melt Shop will take up 1,130 square feet of space.

The increasing demand for more dining and entertainment-driven tenants and amenities at the KoP Mall — particularly with the millennial demographic — was the catalyst for the additions, according to Kathy Smith, director of marketing and business development.

These four restaurants “represent some of the greatest up-and-coming concepts from Philadelphia and New York,” Smith said.

Hai Street Kitchen & Co. — known for its oversized sushi rolls — opened its first location in Rittenhouse Square in 2014, followed by its University City location last year. Another location is planned for New York at Urbanspace Vanderbilt.

Shake Shack has a location in Center City. The KoP Mall expansion project is the chain’s second King of Prussia location – it also has one just outside the mall on the side facing Dick’s Sporting Goods, Primark and JCPenney.

Nicoletta Pizzeria also has a location in Bernardsville, N.J. Melt Shop has multiple locations in New York and one in the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Simon Property Group(NYSE:SPG) is focused on putting high-end retailers in the expansion space and is also setting up the mall to cater to an upscale demographic. Jimmy Choo and Diane von Furstenberg are among the retailers coming to the project this year.