Pittsburgh-based restaurants to open locations in Erie.

Mad Mex and Primanti Brothers planning to open locations in Millcreek.

I would much rather see a Mad Mex location in downtown Erie, on the Bayfront (maybe in the future though), or along the Peninsula Drive/W 8th St. corridor, but I understand the great motivation in locating one at the Millcreek Mall. And I definitely like the fact that they will have outdoor seating. As for Primanti's... I can take it or leave it. I'll eat a sandwich at the Strip, Southside, or Oakland locations, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go to a suburban Primanti's location.

Also good to see an H&M store locating in Erie.

New stores, restaurants coming to Millcreek Mall

Two restaurants, a jewelry store and a handful of clothing stores were all confirmed Tuesday as part of a flurry of coming attractions at the Millcreek Mall.

Topping that list is a new location for Primanti Bros., an iconic Pittsburgh eatery famed for sandwiches stacked with coleslaw and french fries.

Another highlight is a new 23,000-square-foot H&M store that will be located near the mall's customer service center.

Joe Bell, spokesman for the Youngstown, Ohio-based Cafaro Co., which owns the mall, also talked Tuesday about the latest thinking on filling vacancies.

He said mall managers aren't looking for a major anchor tenant to fill the 90,000-square-foot space vacated by Burlington Coat Factory in 2011.

"Our real estate people didn't sense so much of a need for a big box like that," Bell said. "But they did feel the need for smaller tenant spaces."

To accommodate those needs, he said, the mall corridor will be extended through the middle of what had been the Burlington Coat Factory, making room for smaller tenants on either side of the corridor.

Two of those spaces will house a 4,700-square-foot Primanti Bros. and a new 6,300-square-foot Mad Mex restaurant, described as an American mash-up of Mexican food with Southeast Asian and West Coast influences.

The two restaurants, which are expected to be open by fall, will feature exterior entrances and patio dining, Bell said.

http://www.goerie.com/new-stores-res...millcreek-mall