WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – The Lehigh Valley’s largest shopping mall has welcomed a tasty new addition as three other businesses prepare to join the lineup.
D’Colombia Restaurant & Bakery, a family-run eatery and bakery offering authentic, freshly prepared Colombian food, opened Sunday on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s lower level near the main entrance.
The space previously housed other food and beverage spots, including Wetzel’s Pretzels and, most recently, Indian Bite.
D’Colombia recently opened on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s lower level, near the main entrance.
At D’Colombia, customers can place their orders at a counter before taking their food to-go or enjoying it at nearby dining tables and benches. An outdoor dining area also is available.
The stand features a variety of empanadas, including beef, chicken, cheese, guava and cheese and Hawaiian (ham, cheese and pineapple).
Other menu highlights include Colombian beef pies, chicken pies, pan de bono (cheesy bread), pork belly, pork sausage and blood sausage. Sausages are served with arepa.
A variety of house-made fruit juices, including blackberry and mango and passion fruit, complement the food, and specialty coffee drinks are coming soon, a worker said.
The Lehigh Valley Mall’s new foodie hotspot is D’Colombia’s first fast-casual location, supplementing two full-service D’Colombia restaurants in North Plainfield and Roselle, N.J.
Other recent openings
The recent openings of D’Colombia follows a string of other new Lehigh Valley Mall tenants.
First, Sugar Bear, a business offering a wide array of candy selections, opened last month on the mall’s lower level near the escalators.
Sugar Bear has more than a dozen other locations in New Jersey and New York, and the Whitehall store is Sugar Bear’s first Pennsylvania location, store associate Jessica Parker said.
Sugar Bear Candy Store operates at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
Customers can shop a mix of unique and classic candy selections, including popular picks such as Airheads, Blow Pops, Big League Chew, Chunky, Fun Dip, Jolly Ranchers, Nerds Rope, Pocky, Pop Rocks, Smarties, Swedish Fish and Reese’s Nutrageous.
The store also carries Sugar Bear’s freeze-dried candy; specialty popcorn; gummy options such as gummy bears and worms; and chocolate treats such as chocolate bark and chocolate-covered pretzels, nuts and Oreos.
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate and sugar-free chocolate are available.
“We also have novelty and old-fashioned candy like Sugar Daddy as well as new, trending candy like Dubai chocolate bars,” Parker said. “The Dubai chocolate bars are best-sellers along with our freeze-dried candy.”
On the mall’s upper level near the escalators, Waikiki opened last month at the former Forever 21 location.
Customers can shop a wide array of teen and women’s fashions, including dresses, skirts, pants, blouses, T-shirts and sweatshirts.
A Waikiki store operates on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s upper level in Whitehall Township.
All items are priced under $9.
The store also carries accessories such as handbags and keychains.
Other Waikiki stores operate across the country at other prominent shopping destinations, including the San Francisco Premium Outlets; Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City; and St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf, Maryland.
In March, Carter’s, Inc., a leading apparel company for babies and young children, opened a new retail location on the mall’s upper level.
The 3,200 square-foot store features a wide assortment of “on-trend, affordable baby and children’s clothing for preemie to size 14, gifts and accessories” from Carter’s house of brands, including Carter’s, OshKosh B’gosh, Little Planet, and Skip Hop, according to a news release.
Carter’s, Inc. is the largest branded marketer in North America of apparel exclusively for babies and young children, according to a business description.
The Atlanta-headquartered company owns the Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh brands, two of the most recognized brands in the marketplace, which are sold through more than 1,000 Company-operated stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as online at carters.com, oshkosh.com, cartersoshkosh.ca, and carters.com.mx.
Other Lehigh Valley locations of Carter’s operate at Promenade Saucon Valley in Upper Saucon Township and the Airport Shopping Center in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
Also opening in March was Address for Him, offering casual and formal menswear, shoes and accessories.
Address for Him, operating on the mall’s upper level near Macy’s, features a wide assortment of men’s fashions, including suits, tuxedos, collared shirts, T-shirts, pants and socks.
Shoppers can browse suits from top designers sch as Calvin Klein, DKNY and Tommy Hilfiger.
Address for Him, offering casual and formal menswear, shoes and accessories, operates on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s upper level.
There are also shoes and accessories such as belts, cufflinks and neck ties.
“We combine the best of European elegance with American design to create timeless, comfortable pieces,” a message on Address for Him’s website reads.
“At Address for Him, quality matters—our fabrics are carefully chosen, and each design is made to last. We offer fashion that works for everyday life, bringing style and comfort together in every piece.”
MINISO, a global value retailer offering a variety of “trendy lifestyle products” including toys, home decor, tableware, fashion accessories and health and beauty items, opened its first Lehigh Valley location about two months ago on the mall’s lower level next to Bath & Body Works.
The store also sells snacks such as candy and chips; personal care products such as bath sponges, hand creams, hair brushes and cotton swabs; and hair accessories such as bows, clips and headbands.
A MINISO store operates at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
Shoppers will find items showcasing well-known pop culture characters, including Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh, The Powerpuff Girls and Peanuts characters such as Snoopy and Woodstock.
Joseph & Co. Jewelers opened Feb. 8 in a lower-level space near the escalators.
The spot previously housed Rêver, a store selling menswear, shoes and accessories, which recently moved to a nearby lower-level space.
Joseph & Co., offering a wide array of fine jewelry, is affiliated with Joseph Jacob Jewelers, a New York City-headquartered jewelry company with more than 20 retail locations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, manager Eddie Bitar said.
Joseph & Co. Jewelers operates at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
Another Joseph & Co. store opened in late 2024 at the Willow Grove Park Mall in Montgomery County, Bitar said.
In Whitehall, customers can shop a variety of rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
There are also watches from top brands such as Invicta, Seiko and Michael Kors.
“We design and make our own jewelry,” Bitar said.
“We’re very known for our beautiful and high-quality bridal selections, and we also can work with customers to create a custom design. So, for example, you could bring a picture or sketch of the ring of your dreams and we can bring that vision to life.”
Game Box Arcade operates at the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township
Businesses opening at the Lehigh Valley Mall in late 2024 include Game Box Arcade, a traditional arcade concept where players use quarters to play various games, which opened in December on the lower level next to Boscov’s; As Seen On TV, a store carrying a wide assortment of unique products seen on TV including household items, tech gadgets, fitness equipment, kitchen utensils, toys and seasonal decor, which opened in early November on the upper level next to The Children’s Place; Spice n Shake, a fast-casual eatery specializing in custom French fries gently shaken in your choice of signature seasoning and chicken items available in unique sauces, which opened Nov. 14 on the mall’s upper level across from LensCrafters; Perfume City, a store offering a wide assortment of men’s and women’s fragrances, which opened in November on the upper level next to Claire’s; and Fit Leggy, a store offering women’s leggings, legging sets, socks and accessories such as handbags, which opened in early November on the lower level next to Lids.
Coming-soon tenants
Other businesses are set to join the mall in the coming months.
Dry Goods, a women’s fashion retailer offering clothing, shoes and accessories, is expected to open in mid-summer in a lower-level spot that was previously home to clothing retailer Austin 5, according to Jessica Stoltz, Dry Goods’ director of advertising and e-marketing.
Dry Goods, a subsidiary of Iowa-headquartered department store chain Von Maur, offers a variety of apparel, including dresses, jeans, jumpsuits, loungewear, pants, shorts, skirts, sweaters, T-shirts, vests and outerwear, along with footwear such as boots, sneakers, sandals and slippers.
Customers also can shop accessories such as hats, handbags, jewelry and sunglasses.
Dry Goods has more than 80 open or coming soon locations in 24 states, including two other Pennsylvania locations in the Pittsburgh area, according to the company’s website.
Not far from the forthcoming Dry Goods store, a location of Dunkin’, the country’s largest coffee and doughnuts brand, is expected to open on the Lehigh Valley Mall’s lower level near the escalators this spring, according to the mall’s website.
The new Dunkin’ location will occupy a kiosk that was previously home to a Starbucks location, which closed last year.
A Dunkin’ location is coming soon to the Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall Township.
Founded by Bill Rosenberg in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, Dunkin’ is owned by Atlanta-based Inspire Brands, a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio also includes Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, SONIC Drive-In, Rusty Taco and Jimmy John’s.
In addition to coffee and doughnuts, the chain offers a variety of other food and beverages, including sandwiches and Wake-Up Wraps, frozen drinks like Coolatas and frozen matcha lattes and baked goods such as bagels, croissants and muffins.
Dunkin’ has more than 13,700 restaurants in nearly 40 global markets.
Also on the mall’s lower level, Star Park Indoor Playground & Party is expected to open in late spring in space that previously housed various retailers, including Track 23 and Modell’s Sporting Goods, according to Sherry Smith, the Lehigh Valley Mall’s marketing administrator.
The expansive facility will offer a unique, interactive play area where children ages 12 and under can climb, play, explore, and use their imaginations in a clean, bright and colorful world filled with a variety of fun, according to an online description.
“Your child will be thrilled to celebrate his or her birthday with friends at a fully personalized, fun and entertaining birthday party at Star Park Indoor Playground,” the description continues.
Other Star Park locations operate at the Franklin Mall in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill Mall in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
The facilities offer “challenging fun” with various play equipment, including climbing structures, crawling tunnels, slides, swings and more.
They’re suitable for a wide array of events, including parent play dates, field trips, parties and more.
“Star Park Indoor Playground provides a fun environment for kids to play while giving parents a place to relax,” a message on Star Park’s website reads.
“We believe playtime should be a break from screens and an opportunity for creativity to flourish. Our facility offers parents a chance to unwind and connect while their children enjoy themselves.”
Other recent changes
The Lehigh Valley Mall, which debuted in 1976 and added an outdoor lifestyle center in 2007, is home to more than 140 businesses, including anchor department stores Boscov’s, Macy’s and JCPenney.
Earlier in 2024, the mall welcomed a host of other new stores and restaurants, including interactive golf store chain Golf Galaxy; furniture store Furniture & Linen; sports gear retailer Rally House; a second location of watch retailer Time On My Hands; Stone Haven, a store offering natural stone jewelry other related natural products; and the Lehigh Valley’s first Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant.
While new tenants are joining the mix, the Lehigh Valley Mall has also recently said goodbye to some businesses.
Pocono Brewery Company’s Lehigh Valley taproom – offering local craft beer, wood-fired pizzas and more – closed in February at the Lehigh Valley Mall’s outdoor lifestyle center, head brewer Jean-Luc Vitiello told 69 News.
The Lehigh Valley taproom opened in early 2019 at the former Ann Taylor space and supplemented Pocono Brewery Company’s flagship location, which continues to operate at 2092 Route 611 in the Swiftwater section of Pocono Township, Monroe County.
“Due to the opening of the brewery near us, the competition became an issue,” Vitiello said, referencing the newly opened Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant location at Lehigh Valley Mall. “We’re looking to open another location in a more welcoming community, maybe in Bethlehem or Easton.”
Pocono Brewery Company’s Lehigh Valley taproom has closed at the Lehigh Valley Mall’s outdoor lifestyle center in Whitehall Township.
In recent months, airsoft shooting gallery Battlestar, jewelry and accessories chain Icing, Indian eatery Indian Bite and Hairitage Beauty Salon also vacated their Lehigh Valley Mall locations.
Hairitage Beauty Salon has relocated its Lehigh County salon to 429 Front St. in Catasauqua, where it has added manicures, pedicures and other nail services to its offerings, according to the business’ Instagram page.
Last summer, the mall also bid farewell to Rivals Indoor Battlefield; a Starbucks kiosk; Ardene, a fashion retailer with more than 250 stores worldwide; and Face Foundrié, a chain of all-inclusive focused facial bars.
Additionally, a Perfume Galaxy store – selling a wide array of men’s and women’s fragrances – recently closed after less than six months of business on the mall’s upper level; and fashion retailer Forever 21 recently shuttered its Lehigh Valley Mall location amid the company’s latest bankruptcy filing.
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