Plaza Fiesta is a 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2) shopping mall in DeKalb County, Georgia on the eastern border of the city of Brookhaven, on Buford Highway and Clairmont Road. The mall contains a large supermarket ("farmers market"), several large discount stores, and a large space filled with over 140[1] small vendors, modeled on a Mexican mercado or flea market. According to newspaper Creative Loafing, "to Atlanta's immigrant population, Plaza Fiesta has become as vital a shopping destination as Lenox Square or the Mall of Georgia."[2]
The mall opened in 1968 as the Buford-Clairmont Mall and included a movie theater. Tenants included Woolco which later became a Burlington Coat Factory. Later the mall became "Outlet Square" and included a Winn-Dixie supermarket. In 1996, new owners turned the mall into "Asian Square", modeled after a crowded Hong Kong street. In 2000 new owners spend $11 million to transform Asian Square into Plaza Fiesta. Marshall's closed in the early 2010s as it opened a store in nearby Town Brookhaven.[3]
2013 saw a number of openings at the plaza, including the Shoppers World discount store, Planet Fitness gym, and Ross Dress for Less.[4] That same year, the mall reported over 4 million visitors.[5] The mall attracts shoppers from as far as North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.[6] In February 2020, an Ollie's Bargain Outlet location opened next to the Planet Fitness location.[7]
Incidents
[edit]A robbery and shoplifting took place inside of a store in the mall in April 2021.[citation needed] That same year, a fight was taken place after the mall was closed for the night.[citation needed]
After a string of fights and robberies, the mall issued a new supervision rule requires all visitors under 18 will have to be with an adult 21 years and over after 3 PM while on mall property and placed security measures throughout the mall area. [citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ Plaza Fiesta official website
- ^ "Plaza Fiesta!: How a doomed strip mall became ground zero for a cultural revolution", Alyssa Abkowitz, June 21, 2006, Creative Loafing
- ^ "Shopportunity comes to North DeKalb, ToneToATL, September 14, 2010
- ^ "National Names Joining the Party at Plaza Fiesta", ToneToATL, January 14, 2013
- ^ "Food - A newbie's guide to eating at Plaza Fiesta". Atlanta Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
- ^ "The Mall of the Future…on Buford Highway? | 90.1 FM WABE". 90.1 FM WABE. 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
- ^ https://www.ollies.us/events/359-Chamblee/