Fayetteville restaurant owner says mall booted her from food court spot to make way for chain

Cross Creek Mall welcomed two Fayetteville-owned restaurants to the food court late last year, but the two eateries disappeared nearly as quickly as they arrived.

SimLo’s Jerk Hut, a sister restaurant to SimLo’s Island Cafe on Boone Trail Extension, and Manhattan Deli, a longtime Fayetteville staple with three area locations, opened mall stands in December.

Now, both stands are dark and vacant.

Back in November:Fayetteville-owned deli and Jamaican restaurant to open at Cross Creek Mall food court

SimLo’s owner Simone Atlan said Wednesday that when business was good at Cross Creek Mall, her stand almost always had a line of customers and her sales were second only to Chick-fil-A.

But, Atlan said, none of that mattered once national fried chicken chain Popeyes wanted her food court stand.

"They told us that a national player wanted our spot," she said.

She said that at the end of June the mall terminated her one-year lease early and Manhattan Deli closed their food court location around the same time.

Cross Creek Mall spokesperson Jessica Kirkman did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Manhattan Deli owner Joe Ali did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Fayetteville restaurant owner said she spent thousands renovating her spot in the food court

Atlan said mall management gave her two choices — move to Manhattan Deli’s old spot or leave the mall completely.

She said she was crushed by the news, especially because she spent tens of thousands of dollars renovating her space. Moving across the food court would mean abandoning those investments and putting more money into the new stand, she said.

“I would have to put in a freezer, put up a sign and put the food warmers in again,” the restauranteur said. “I didn't think that was fair for me.”

She said she was frustrated, especially because there were three vacant stands into which Popeyes could have moved.

But despite Atlan's desire to stay in the food court, she said the mall's refusal to pay her moving expenses or give her rent credit forced her to turn in her keys, she said.

Since then, she said, mall employees and customers have reached out to ask why SimLo's isn't there anymore.

“I feel so disappointed,” she said. “Nobody stays there for long, and now I understand why.”

What's next for SimLo's?

Mall management wants SimLo's back in the food court, she said, and she’s open to reopening there. She said she’s waiting to see what they can offer her.

If she doesn’t go back to the food court, however, she hopes to find a new location near Cross Creek Mall or on Ramsey Street, which would operate in addition to her original location at 3057 Boone Trail Extension.

“I don’t want to make any decisions yet,” the chef said.

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.