Galleria's new owner reports 24 new leases since purchasing the mall in August

Dec. 29—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — In less than four months, The Johnstown Galleria mall's food court has gone from virtually empty to becoming a multicultural hub for food in the area.

Tin Mackrille, which serves Jamaican and American cuisine, and Eat & Sleep Latin American Food are owned by families who've brought recipes from Jamaica and Puerto Rico, respectively.

They are two of five vendors now at the food court, including Rosalinda's Express, an Asian food restaurant that has anchored the food court for years and recently has been its lone tenant.

Tin Mackrille owners Kemar Bailey and his wife, Patrice Singleton, originally immigrated from Jamaica to New Jersey, and the Rodriguez family, which owns Eat & Sleep Latin American food, originally moved from U.S. territory Puerto Rico to Lancaster, Lancaster County.

Both families moved to Johnstown about two years ago, spurred by challenges of living in bigger cities.

Singleton is the chef at Tin Mackrille, drawing from her education in Jamaica as well as experience cooking with professional cooks in her family.

"I've been helping cook since I could reach a stove," Singleton said.

For Dorcas Rodriguez, the mountains of the Johnstown region reminded her of Puerto Rico, but she missed the food, so she and her husband, Justin Rodriguez, decided that starting a restaurant would be a way to share recipes that were handed down through the generations of her family with the Johnstown community.

But what brought the Rodriguez family to establish their business specifically in the Galleria was the mall's new owner.

"We saw Leo in the newspaper," Justin Rodriguez said.

"He said he wanted to bring more tenants. It was refreshing."

Leo Karruli is also new to Johnstown. He's lived in Florida for much of his adult life, but has moved to Johnstown since buying the Galleria in August.

Karruli was born in Albania and lived in Italy before immigrating to New York in the early 1990s. At that time, the Galleria had only just opened in this part of Appalachia.

The Galleria, built by local developer George Zamias, opened in 1992, but was later sold in 2008. Multiple corporations have held some ownership of the mall until its recent foreclosure. The mall had been slowly declining for years, not unlike many enclosed malls across the United States. Banks foreclosed on the mall in 2021 and operated it through Spinoso Real Estate Group of Syracuse, New York.

The mall was subsequently sold in an online auction, where Karruli scooped it up for a high bid of $3.15 million in August.

Terrance Ballard, of Johnstown, opened a new location of his restaurant — Rayne's Backyard BBQ — in the food court after a friend who owns a shop in the mall convinced him of Karruli's enthusiasm.

"He said, 'Leo's done more work in two months than they (Spinoso) did in a whole year,' " Ballard said.

Jeff Bidelman's business, Rare Collectibles, has been a fixture of the Galleria for the past 25 years. He said Karruli has put his own money on the line and is trying to genuinely become a member of the community, which is a stark contrast to management during the foreclosure process.

"I constantly see him showing people open spots for lease," Bidelman said.

Collective Creations, co-owned by Brandy Womer, of Johnstown, is among the new stores in the Galleria since Karruli took ownership of the mall. The shop sells custom tumblers, candles and clothing.

"Trying to find the right place in the mall was scary, but Leo helped us find one not too big and not too small," she said.

"I've never seen the mall this busy before."

Next door to Womer's business is Sitting Pretty Hair Spa, a salon specializing in Black hair types and styles. New businesses on the second floor include Qscapes luxury aquatic dealer.

Karruli is also taking care of businesses that have long been loyal to the Galleria. David Cross has owned and operated D.C. Goldsmithing, a jewelry repair, design and sales business, since 2006.

Cross's former store space was small, but Karruli offered Cross a prime jewelry shop location.

"I didn't think I could afford it, but he said he wanted me there, so he gave it to me at the same price as my old location. I am tickled to death," Cross said.

Cross said Karruli was pushing a mop on the first floor of the Galleria the first time he met him. Karruli has insisted on doing as much work has he can himself, despite having amassed wealth from developing properties in other states including Florida.

"He's not looking for people to work for him. He's looking for people to work with him," Cross said. "The way he's running the place screams that he will be successful."

Annette Kramer, owner of The Rock N Roll Store, has been a seasonal tenant of the Galleria for decades. Her business was formerly known as Nature's Habitat.

"The mall has been here for years, and malls across America have had problems — the Galleria is not the only one," Kramer said, "but now someone has come in here and is putting his heart and soul into it. We need to give it a chance. I think it will do well."

Wednesday was a rare day that Karruli was not working at the mall, but when reached by phone, he said that he's leased 24 new tenants for the mall.

Some of those new tenants have already relocated, and some have yet to move in.

The food court, he said, is going to be so full that he'll be reopening previously boarded up spaces to make more room.

He's also continuing to pursue big-box stores.

"I am still talking with big companies," he said. "Every day I'm talking to people."