Mall of NH draws locally owned restaurant and shops

Feb. 20—Among national chains in the Mall of New Hampshire food court, Delicious Balance is offering something new with its Caribbean fare.

The concept gives customers options for healthy and clean eating, such as fresh salads and cold pressed juices. Some of the dishes include stewed chicken and stewed beef with rice and other sides mostly from the Dominican Republic, said Katiuska Rojas, one of the owners.

"We came into the mall and saw something was missing in the food court," Rojas said. "Why not bring our flavor and our culture to this area?"

Two new stores at the mall came from humble beginnings: Kiosks. Keke's Dream LGBTQ+ and Rugged Youth are both owned by Manchester residents.

The mall, owned by Simon Property Group, has seen growth in smaller locally-owned shops and restaurants starting at the end of last year. Most malls across the country are known for national retailers, but have always had a mix of local shops, according to Nancy Kyle, president and CEO of the New Hampshire Retail Association.

The influx supports a trend of consumers wanting to shop locally and support small businesses, she said.

Also new to the mall is Chaos & Kindness, part of Recycled Percussion's Emmy-nominated TV show, "Chaos & Kindness," which focuses on giving back to others and making a difference around the world, according to its website.

The spike in locally owned shops could be coming from people quitting jobs to pursue their dreams, Kyle said.

"More people are leaving their careers," she said.

Nito Alamo, owner of Rugged Youth, is among them. He opened the shop in November, alongside his wife, Wyn.

"I was just working and trying to figure out how to start my own business," Nito Alamo said. He came across a video online of someone screen printing a T-shirt and he decided to launch his own brand.

Kyle expects more growth in the future with new store openings and some brands expanding coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many small businesses have also expanded online offerings.

New concepts

Each of the new businesses offer something different.

Keke's Dream LGBTQ+ is the fulfillment of Keith Marcoux Jr.'s dream of opening a store since he was a little kid. The store sells pride apparel, gifts, games and more. The store opened in December after operating a kiosk from August to November of last year.

"I wanted to open up the store for the community," said Marcoux, who runs the shop with his father.

"Right now, we call this our safe haven and we want people to come here and feel wanted and loved," Keith Marcoux Sr. said. "We share our story with them and they share their stories with us."

The store opened with personal finances and collaborates with at least eight local vendors, including a few from its next door neighbor, Manchester Craft Market, also locally owned.

Rugged Youth started in May 2019 as an e-commerce business. After opening the successful kiosk, representatives from the mall reached out about leasing a full store.

Most of the products are custom made, but some of the embroidered products are shipped in from overseas.

"I started making custom shirts for friends in the area," Alamo said, who left his job at 3M to start the business.

Some of the products include sweatshirts, ski masks, T-shirts and bags.

"It literally started with a T-shirt, now I have a store in the Mall of New Hampshire," Alamo said.

The name resembles a rough and difficult beginning, but overcoming obstacles, which they believe resonates with everyone. Many of the product labels feature scripture from the Bible, such as Mark 9:23.

The two worked with the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority to secure a loan through the Bank of New Hampshire.

At Delicious Balance, everything is cooked from scratch every day. Omar Rivera, another owner, compared it to "mom's cooking." He dreamed of opening his own restaurant for 15 years.

"People have options, but when they want quality they know where to go," he said of the food court.

Another owner, Estefany Rivera said the foot traffic was a major draw to open in the mall. The group of friends from Nashua took out a loan from Digital Federal Credit Union and cobbled together personal finances to open in early December. Rojas took out a 401(k) loan.

"It was risky to start a new business at the mall, especially after COVID when a lot of businesses needed to close down," Rojas said.

Future of malls

Some malls are more successful than others and more aggressive at getting stores and mixed-uses, Kyle said.

"They're not always going to be traditional shopping stores," she said.

The Steeplegate Mall gave notice last week to its five remaining interior stores to leave with an "exciting potential project" planned. The details have not been revealed.

Kyle mentioned how the Steeplegate Mall signed leases with Altitude Trampoline Park, Hatbox Theatre and the Zoo Health Club. Those will all remain along with JCPenney and other stores with exterior entrances.

Some entertainment options at the Mall of New Hampshire include Lok'd Room Escape and Battlestar, a sci-fi themed airsoft shooting gallery.

Many malls have been known for forcing downtown shops out of business, but the many towns and cities are seeing a resurgence. The balance between the two is starting to level out.

"There are always going to be malls," Kyle said. "And there is always going to be downtown."