Updated May 9, 2019; Posted May 9, 2019
Final preparations are taking place at the Empire Outlets in St. George, as the shopping plaza is getting ready to open next week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and various festivities. (Staten Island Advance/Shira Stoll)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The opening of the much-anticipated Empire Outlets on the St. George waterfront is set for next week, and the developers have a number of exciting things planned to launch New York City’s first outlet mall.
The official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, at 7 p.m., followed by a private party for about 600 VIP guests, according to Joseph Ferrara, principal of BFC Partners and the Outlet’s developer.
FOOD TRUCK LINEUP
At the same time, there will be mobile food units open to the public, including: Food Network’s darling personality and Eltingville’s own Dom Tesoriero with his Mac Truck; Waffle de Lys; Abeetz Wood-Fired Pizza; Cousin’s Maine Lobster, and German Christmas Market, a tricked-out truck with a “Frohe Weihnachten” theme and bratwursts.
Booze will be available for purchase that evening. And revelers can expect roving fashion shows, street performers and live music.
“There will be some pretty exciting concepts that normally don’t tap into the Staten Island market,” said Ferrara of the trucks soon rolling into the borough.
On Thursday, May 16, there will be Mac Truck, Nunchas, Meatoss and La New Yorkina. On Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18, Mac Truck will roll up with Phil’s Steaks, Makina, Nunchas and La New Yorkina. Waffle de Lyswill join the lineup on Saturday as well.
Ferrara said the brick-and-mortar food program will begin to open in July with initial tenants Shake Shack, Wasabi Steak & Sushi, Mammoons and MRKTPL, an artisanal food hall. While that section of the Outlets comes to completion, there will be a battery gourmet mobile food units in place for the thousands of tourists anticipated to pass daily through the complex.
In a separate promotion for the opening, Empire Outlets is giving away a $1,500 shopping spree for those who register online.
Thursday, May 16, will mark the Outlets’ first official full day in business.
Dom Tesoriero serves variations of mac ‘n’ cheese from his food truck called Mac Truck which travels the New York Metro area. (Staten Island Advance File Photo)
SPECIAL GUEST FOR VIP EVENT
Ferrara talked up local restaurateur Peter Botros via the formal announcement of Empire Outlets’ inaugural festivities. Botros will cater the VIP portion of the grand opening night and operate the cash bars for the evening.
“I’m honored to be catering the VIP event and plan to focus on creating dishes that are innovative and whimsical renditions of classic icons,” said Botros.
He explained, “One example is a Lobster Corn Dog ‘Cup Cake’….[with] Maine Lobster tail in a cornbread ‘cupcake’ topped with a shallot-tarragon whipped cream.”
Also on display for VIP guests will be a Chocolate Chip Cookie “mountain” in honor of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day recognized on May 15.
Botros is partner and executive chef of several Staten Island restaurants — Violette’s Cellar, The Corner House BBQ and The Corner House Express, all in Grant City, Sofia’s Taqueria in Rosebank and The Stone House at Clove Lakes Park plus its boutique eatery, The Chef’s Loft.
He will be opening Sally’s Southern in West Brighton this summer, a Southern comfort concept at 427 Forest Avenue named for partner Phil Farinacci’s late mother.
Botros also will make a presence at the waterfront in a neighboring development at Lighthouse Point. In April, 2018, he signed a lease for a restaurant and gourmet food market to occupy 27,100-square-foot (17,600 indoor; 9,500 outdoor) of space.
RETAILERS
Major retailers coming to the center include: Nordstrom Rack, Nike,H&M, Levi’s, True Religion, Cotton On, Converse, Jockey, Starbucks, U.S. Polo, Crocs, American Eagle Outfitters, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Broom & Greene, Columbia Sporting Goods, Nike Factory, and True Religion. Eateries slated to open in Empire Outlets’ include Shake Shack, Starbucks, Mamoun’s Falafel and MRKTPL, Staten Island’s first-ever artisanal food hall.
Original story: https://www.silive.com/empireoutlets/2019/05/empire-outlets-grand-opening-food-trucks-fashion-shows-and-more.html