Outdoor terrace and trendy design create a casual beach-club atmosphere
A new highlight for Megalò shopping center in the Italian city of Chieti: After a construction period of six months ECE, responsible for the management and leasing of the center, and the ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund I, investor for the center, opened the redesigned food court of Megalò. Named “Cucina Club” the new dining area has an appealing beach-club atmosphere that invites center visitors to meet and enjoy the culinary delights on offer: The new outdoor terrace has a casual Mediterranean flair and opens the center to the outside. It is the ideal place to enjoy cool drinks and tasty food outdoors for the first time.
The food court’s interior was entirely redesigned and boasts a modern, colorful design, selected premium building material, and atmospheric lighting. Pergola wood elements create a comfortable, warm atmosphere and take the beach-club atmosphere of the outdoor terrace to the inside. Colored areas, modern light lines with changing daylight and evening light, and cool white surfaces and furniture create a real beach club feeling and a cool, fresh, and trendy atmosphere with a high quality of stay that is primarily aimed at attracting high numbers of young visitors. The shop facades of the food retailers were also redesigned and enhanced with a uniform design. Services such as charging stations for smart phones complement the convenience services for the visitors.
The “Cucina Club” has 1,200 seats on more than 4,000m² and nine F&B concepts – including an Old Wild West steakhouse, Burger King, and Fratelli La Bufala – a large choice of food and drinks for every taste. It also features a 6,000m² Multiplex movie theater.
The ECE European Prime Shopping Centre Fund I has invested approximately 2 million euros into the refurbishment of the food court. The center was opened in 2005. Located in the university city of Chieti near Pescara, it accommodates approx. 120 shops and service providers on a leasable area of 48,500 m². Since Megalò was acquired by the ECE Fund and ECE took over the management and leasing services in 2011, the overall turnover of the center has increased by 20 percent. The refurbishment of the food court is another step to make the center even more successful and prepare it for the future.