Square Mall eyes 2026 opening From the cover
A closer look
The big picture
experience.” The food hall is in the early planning stages, Garza said, and he was not able to disclose specific restaurants, but it will likely have around 10 stalls with a variety of options. “You’re going to have an awesome gourmet burger place. We’re going to have a taco stand,” Garza said. “We’ll have the Asian cuisine to mirror the community. We’re going to have a nice blend that pulls in all audiences.” Garza said the focal point of the food hall will be a bar with space to host regular events, from live music to fundraisers that partner with local schools and community organizations. “It would be like the heartbeat of the commu- nity,” Garza said. “Most food halls and projects like this bring community together, and that’s what we want to do.”
The mall will be built around a food hall created by Garza’s company National Food Hall Solutions, alongside the first U.S. location of Japanese grocery store Aeon and additional restaurants and retail spots. “We think the marriage between the grocery store aspect and the food hall aspect, there’s some magic there,” Garza said. Tran said Aeon will provide an experience for shoppers based around the discovery of new items, rather than just “going to the store to buy a product.” City Manager Don Magner said the city encour- aged Tran to make the mall a “true international destination” providing food, entertainment and retail from all around the world. Garza said the mall will be an “all-day
The multimillion renovation of Richardson Square Mall was originally announced in 2024, almost two decades after the mall closed in 2006. Components of the new mall are expected to open by this fall. Tran said he wanted to update the traditional mall model, offering a range of experiences and a modern look with outdoor corridors linking the mall’s buildings. Tran said he hopes the environment will encourage people to hang out at the mall rather than just shop and leave. “It’s not about buying stuff anymore,” Tran said. “You go to a place you enjoy, that is something you cannot buy online.” Tran sees the project as more than just one mall’s renovation—he said Richardson will be his launching pad for a nationwide model of malls that could have 200 locations. “We want to build not just a business but a legacy,” Tran said.
Coffee shop 2,704 sq. ft.
Renovated floor plan
Korean BBQ 7,098 sq. ft.
Breaking down the project
Stationary store 7,098 sq. ft.
Boba tea shop 1,352 sq. ft.
Claw machine 2,704 sq. ft.
Bakery 4,056 sq. ft.
92-acre property
64,714 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space
Ice cream shop 2,704 sq. ft.
Specialty grocer 48,536 sq. ft.
SOURCE: THE RETAIL CONNECTION/ COMMUNITY IMPACT Leased Ongoing negotiations Not yet leased Covered promenade
2,704 sq. ft. 2,704 sq. ft.
9-11 food hall stalls
14+ storefronts
Pho restaurant 3,000 sq. ft.
SOURCE: VM HOLDINGS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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