Roosevelt Field Adds Restaurants To Attract Shoppers

GARDEN CITY, NY — With the addition of sushi and ramen restaurant Noyima Station next spring, Roosevelt Field Mall continues to boost its culinary offerings as an entree to shopping.

Owned by Simon Property Group, the Nassau County mall seeks to attract more prospective shoppers by enticing them with a wider selection of fine dining. The move is part of a broader effort to make the mall a more desired shopping option than those offered by their online and big box store competitors.

Since debuting a newly constructed 10,000-square-foot west wing featuring a Le Pain Quotidien in 2016, the mall has opened several new restaurants that are part of a westside row that was rebranded this year as The Restaurant Collection.

"It really is an effort to try to tempt everyone to come and visit more often and enjoy our dining," said Nancy Gilbert, marketing director at Roosevelt Field.

The collection is a mix of restaurants that existed before the renovation project, Grand Lux Cafe, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and Havana Central, and newer establishments in Small Batch, Osteria Morini, True Food Kitchen, Le Pain Quotidien and the forthcoming Noyima Station. Simon promotes the collection as a "tour of flavors" in "one convenient location for your next family day, date night or just a little brunch before you shop."

"We have some of the best chain restaurants and then some very unique restaurants that you won't find anywhere else," Gilbert said. "That's kind of what we want to be."

Small Batch, a farm-to-table concept by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio that is marketed as "rustic American fare," debuted at Roosevelt Field in late 2018. The following year, Osteria Morini, another chef-driven restaurant, opened next to the mall's main entrance and is billed as offering "soulful cuisine" from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

On the other side of the mall entrance is True Food Kitchen, whose April 2020 opening was delayed until September of the year, about two months after the mall reopened from the COVID-19-related forced shutdown of businesses.

Co-founded by Dr. Andrew Weil, a celebrity integrative medicine specialist, and Sam Fox, a well-known southwest restaurateur, True Food Kitchen debuted in Arizona in 2008. The Weil-approved menus, which are changed seasonally, are centered on organic vegetables and fruits, grass-fed meats, whole grains and red wines, and also feature burgers, pizza, chicken parmigiana and the like. The brand has since spread to 39 locations across 17 states, most of which are in Simon malls.

Christine Ferris, marketing director for True Food Kitchen, said the brand seeks to open new restaurants in high-traffic areas with prospective patrons who primarily have higher-than-average incomes and generally value a healthier lifestyle.

"We knew Roosevelt Field had done a revamp and is in a great, higher income area," Ferris said. "We are a little bit more expensive, but you pay for what you get, and at the same time we need to go into areas that really value that."

Roosevelt Field strategizes to have its more trendy restaurants complement some longer-standing establishments, such as Grand Lux Cafe and Havana Central, which are deemed more affordable and family-oriented.

Sandwiched between the collection of west side establishments is a Chipotle Mexican Grill, a fast-food eatery more in line with the mall's revamped food court that opened in January 2015. Rebranded as the "Dining District," the 50,000-square-foot area offers everything from Wendy's to Patsy's Pizzeria to Maoz Vegetarian, a falafel brand.

"We're very careful of bringing in restaurants covering a varying array of food types, but also a varying array of price points," Gilbert said. "There's truly something for everyone here."

* This story is the second in a four-part series about Roosevelt Field and Simon Property Group.

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