Blue Star Shopping Center at 1701 Route 22 in Watchung — Photos courtesy: Levin Management Corp.
By Joshua Burd
Patrons are flocking to the new-look Blue Star Shopping Center in Watchung, fueling a surge in foot traffic that’s poised to continue with a growing slate of dining and experiential tenants.
That’s according to Levin Management Corp., which cited new data from Placer.ai showing that the Route 22 property draws 3.8 million visitors annually, up 40.1 percent year over year. The longtime leasing and management agent is also reporting a flurry of recent transactions at the 420,000-square-foot center, including restaurant deals totaling more than 10,000 square feet and commitments by entertainment concepts that will account for nearly 13,000 square feet.
Those nontraditional operators, part of LMC’s strategy to drive repeat visits and longer stays by the region’s affluent consumers, join a diverse mix of regional and national brands and retailers such as ShopRite, Kohl’s, Burlington, Marshalls and Planet Fitness.
“The visit numbers tell the story,” said Matthew K. Harding, Levin’s CEO. “A 40 percent increase isn’t a blip. It reflects a fundamentally more compelling place to spend time. We’ve been intentional about building a mix where dining, entertainment and convenience retail reinforce each other, and the retailer demand we’re seeing confirms that strategy is working.”
Among the new dining additions is Sakura Teriyaki, which just signed a lease for a 4,000-square-foot freestanding location with a dedicated pickup drive-thru, according to a news release. The New Jersey-based quick-service concept, which operates stores in Belleville and Jersey City, offers a menu of teriyaki, bento boxes, poke bowls and sushi rolls made with fresh ingredients.
Also now open is a 2,400-square-foot honeygrow restaurant offering customizable stir fries, salads and honeybars made with locally sourced ingredients, LMC said, while construction is underway on a highly anticipated Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers location. The quick-service chain will occupy roughly 4,000 square feet at the center with an outdoor patio and drive-thru service, offering its streamlined menu of chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, Texas toast and its signature Cane’s Sauce.
On the entertainment side, iSmash will open in a 7,234-square-foot venue offering a range of immersive experiences, including rage rooms, black light splatter painting and axe throwing, designed for individuals, group outings and corporate team-building events, the news release said. Back Nine Golf, meantime, will bring a 5,465-square-foot indoor golf simulator experience to the center, giving members 24/7 access to industry-leading simulator technology in a climate-controlled setting suited for players looking to improve their game or enjoy a social outing year-round.
LMC added that Burlington recently opened at the property, and the new Marshalls store is expected to open soon, further strengthening an established roster of national and regional tenants that includes Five Guys, Taco Bell and a growing lineup of dining, retail and entertainment options along the busy Route 22 corridor.
“Blue Star has real momentum right now, and it’s attracting exactly the kind of retailers and entertainment concepts that today’s consumers are seeking out,” said E.J. Moawad, a senior leasing representative at LMC. “The diversity of what’s coming speaks to how much the center has evolved and how strong the demand is from tenants who want to be part of it.”
Co-brokers in the transactions included Joe Brendel of Newmark representing iSmash, Danielle Brunelli of RJ Brunelli & Co. LLC representing Raising Cane’s, Chad Littleton of Morrow Hill representing Back Nine Golf and Jeff Howard and Matt Grundy of RIPCO Real Estate representing honeygrow. LMC represented the landlord in all transactions.
