Restaurants coming to St. Clair Square, including former fave in familiar spot
Mexican food truck Takozz is coming back to St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights.
Previously located at the mall’s food court, the restaurant is currently preparing to reopen at the former Olga’s Kitchen space on the lower level near Dillard’s.
Takozz is slated to open in mid-November, according to Christine Poehling, marketing director for CBL Properties, which owns St. Clair Square.
The business announced in July that it would pause operations at the mall to focus on its expansion and to make improvements. Food trucks continued to operate in the area, including the parking lot at St. Clair Square.
In August, Takozz opened its ghost kitchen at The Hill Food Co., a restaurant co-op at 2360 Hampton Ave. in St. Louis.
For a taste of what’s to come, visit the Takozz food truck Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Holidays in Fairview Heights Tree Lighting event. The event takes place 3-7 p.m. at the Market Place roundabout.
Takozz is a family-owned and operated business established by Ramon Garcia and Eduardo Herrera, according to the website. For more information or food truck bookings, call 618-900-4008 or visit takozz.com.
More food offerings are coming to the mall
As for the former Takozz space in the food court, it will soon be occupied by Mango Thai.
Construction for the new Thai eatery has not yet begun. Justin Lin of GCI Restaurant Group LLC said in a brief interview it is awaiting permits from the city to start construction.
Lin said there are Mango Thai locations at Woodland Mall in Michigan and Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mango Thai has other mall locations in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey and Ohio. Southlake Mall in Merrillville, Indiana, welcomed a location in September.
Menu offerings include different flavors of crispy chicken (including mango chicken), noodles, and fried rice.
The online menu for other locations lists one-, two- and three-entrée combo plates with options that include mango, pineapple, basil and spicy bourbon chicken, beef broccoli, Cajun butter shrimp, fried plantains.
Appetizers and sides include lo mein, fried rice or steamed broccoli, cream cheese Rangoon, thin noodles (tossed with chopped peanuts, sesame seeds and green onion), steamed or fried rice, chicken eggrolls and spring rolls.
Lin said the St. Clair Square location will open in 2026.
Fashionable clothing boutique to open this month
Mangosteen, a men’s and women’s fashion boutique targeted to teens and younger adults, will open at St. Clair Square in a space near the center court between Lane Bryant and H&M.
Previously located at the St. Louis Galleria, the new store will take up more than 11,000 square feet of space to showcase its clothing and accessories, which include urban, casual and formal styles.
Mangosteen is expected to open in mid-November, according to Poehling. The Facebook page for the former Galleria store is still online for a look at the kinds of styles it will offer.
Returning businesses setting up shop for the holidays
As we move into the holiday season, St. Clair Square will welcome some familiar businesses back to the mall.
Hickory Farms returns again this year with its selection of gift baskets and other goods featuring varieties of meats, cheeses, spreads, nuts and other snack foods. This year the store will operate in a space on the mall’s lower level next to where the families can meet and take photos with Santa.
Hickory Farms will open Nov. 15, Poehling said. Hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, which coincide with the mall’s hours and are subject to change.
For more information, visit hickoryfarms.com or call 618-208-0641.
Also returning this year is Go! Calendars, which offers calendars featuring all interests that include music, pop culture, sports, puzzles, animals and many others.
The stand will open around Nov. 13 in front of H&M.
About St. Clair Square
St. Clair Square mall, located at 134 St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.
Although Famous-Barr, the mall’s first store, opened in October 1973, the mall portion of the development opened on Oct. 31, 1974.
The following years saw the openings of Sears on April 29, 1975, and J.C. Penney in January 1976. On April 23, 1979, the fourth department store, Stix Baer & Fuller, opened. (Dillard’s bought Stix and changed the name in 1984.)
Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. (Individual store hours may vary.)
For more info, including upcoming holiday hours, call 618-632-7567, visit stclairsquare.com or follow the Facebook page.
