Palmer Park Mall to welcome 2 more tenants in 2025 | Eat, Sip, Shop

PALMER TWP., Pa. – Following a string of recent additions, a prominent shopping mall in Northampton County will welcome two well-known businesses in 2025.

The Palmer Park Mall, at Park Avenue and Nazareth Road in Palmer Township, is adding two new tenants – Footlights & Co. Boutique and Ohana WonderTown Playground – to its roster early next year.

Footlights, offering a wide array of designer prom dresses, bridal gowns and other formalwear, is expected to open in early January next to Bath & Body Works, owner Gina Penzarella said.

“We start moving into our new space on Jan. 5, and we hope to be open by Jan. 7,” Penzarella said.

Footlights has been helping women look their best for all special occasions for nearly 30 years, Penzarella said.

Penzarella and her mother, also named Gina, established Footlights in 1995.

The pair originally ran the business at the Northampton Crossings shopping center on Easton Nazareth Highway in Lower Nazareth Township before moving operations about two miles northwest to a larger space at 4034 Jandy Blvd. in Lower Nazareth about 10 years ago.

In moving to the Palmer Park Mall next month, Footlights is again expanding into a larger space, Penzarella said.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Palmer Park Mall,” Penzarella said.

“We’ve been the king of prom season since we started in 1995, and we’re going to be expanding our inventory as well as our bridal gown selection when we move to the new space. We carry sizes 0 to 24, and we also carry a lot of really beautiful mother of the bride dresses as well as homecoming dresses.”

Footlights carries top designers’ dresses in a wide variety of colors and styles, and all prom dress purchases are registered – with the girls’ names and their high schools – “so no girl shows up to prom in a dress that someone else is wearing,” Penzarella said.

“People come from all over – not just the Lehigh Valley – for our prom dresses,” Penzarella added. “We have classic dresses, really unique dresses and all of the latest styles that girls are looking for. Everything is extremely high quality.”

To help with the move, Footlights is hosting a sale with steep discounts on all bridal and prom dresses through Thursday, Jan. 2, at its current location on Jandy Boulevard, Penzarella said.

Wedding dresses are currently $400-$700, with other formal gowns priced at $150 and short dresses on sale at $80 each, Penzarella said.

At the Palmer Park Mall, Footlights will operate in space that is being vacated by Day 2 Night Style – a business offering women’s clothing, shoes and accessories.

Following the store’s closure this week, Day 2 Night owner Michele Roy plans to continue selling items on the business’ website, day2nightstyle.com.

In coordination with Footlights and the Palmer Park Mall’s jewelry retailers, the mall is planning to host a wedding expo in the spring, according to Karla Saavedra, the mall’s general manager.

“We’re very excited to welcome Footlights because it’s a prominent local business, and Palmer Park continues to be a community mall,” Saavedra said.

Also coming soon to the Palmer Park Mall is a second location of Ohana WonderTown Playground, a multi-level children’s recreational facility, which is expected to open in the first half of 2025.

Owner Yadira Disla opened the first Ohana WonderTown Playground in July 2023 at the South Mall in Salisbury Township.

The new Palmer venue will feature a similar concept to the South Mall location, with foam flooring and bi-level, soft-play structures featuring bridges, tunnels, sliding boards, obstacle courses, ball pits, foam pits, climbing apparatus and more.

There also will be small trampolines and a variety of ride-on toys.

The new indoor playground will cover about 4,000 square feet, roughly 1,000 square feet more than the South Mall location, Disla said.

The design will differ from the South Mall facility in that it will offer two play areas – one on each side of the space.

One side will be for ages 5 and younger, and the other side will be for ages 8 and under (or up to 4 feet, 9 inches tall), Disla said.

At the South Mall, Ohana features one play area that is geared toward children, ages 6 and younger (or up to 4 feet tall).

Disla is excited to serve more families in the Lehigh Valley as well as satisfy frequent requests from customers.

“I am very excited,” Disla said.

“A lot of people have wanted me to open something bigger for their kids who were outgrowing the facility at the South Mall. I’ve also had a lot of customers ask me to open a location in the Bethlehem or Easton areas because that is more convenient for them.”

The South Mall location can accommodate around 35 kids, and Disla anticipates the Palmer location will accommodate around 60.

The new Palmer location also will feature seating areas for parents and a party room for hosting birthday parties, graduation parties, sports celebrations and other gatherings.

Daily admission at the South Mall location is $12 Monday through Thursday and $13 Friday through Sunday, and Disla anticipates pricing at the Palmer Park location will be $13 Monday through Thursday and $14 Friday through Sunday.

Ohana also offers a membership option, where children can enjoy unlimited visits for $37 per month.

While playing at Ohana, children must wear grip socks, $2.50 per pair, which they can wear on return visits. If they already have grip socks from other venues such as trampoline parks, they may wear those, Disla said.

Joining a growing roster

Footlights and Ohana WonderTown are joining a growing lineup of businesses at the Palmer Park Mall.

Other recent additions include Wrap’d Tight Fully Loaded 2.0, Back to the Arcade II, Uncle JuJu’s Crazy Deals and Aroma Authentic Indian Cuisine.

Wrap’d Tight Fully Loaded 2.0, specializing in gourmet wraps, salads and loaded baked potatoes, held a soft opening Nov. 23 and 24.

The fast-casual restaurant, with seating for around 20 customers, fills a renovated space that was previously home to a Subway eatery.

Wrap’d Tight was established in 2005 on Bethlehem’s South Side, originally operating at the Five Points intersection before moving to a now-demolished building at South New and Third streets in Bethlehem and then moving again to its current location at 2027 Willow Park Road in Bethlehem Township.

The business offers catering, delivery and pick-up services from its Willow Park Road location, and chef and owner Heather Griffith also hosts events for up to 60 people at a catering hall in the same shopping plaza.

Griffith also is bringing the business’ new mobile food trailer to local events as well as breweries and other venues.

The trailer is making appearances at festivals and other public events, and it can also be rented for private functions such as birthday parties, graduation parties and corporate gatherings.

“We’re super excited to be expanding operations with our food truck and also our new location at the Palmer Park Mall,” Griffith said. “We’re going to be tapping into a whole new audience in the Easton area, and we’re super pumped and grateful for the opportunity.”

Wrap’d Tight is known for its gourmet wraps, salads and loaded baked potatoes.

Customers can enjoy original wraps and salads such as BLT, tuna salad, turkey bacon cheddar and ham Swiss veggie, along with specialty wraps and salads such as chicken Caesar, chicken spinach feta, chef salad (crisp green lettuce, turkey, ham, Swiss and American cheeses, red onion, boiled egg, lightly crumbled croutons and zesty ranch dressing) and bacon cheeseburger deluxe (seasoned hamburger strips, melted cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, ketchup and tomato bacon sauce).

A customer favorite is the “Honey on Hunny” wrap (lettuce, honey turkey, honey ham, onions, sweet peppers and honey mustard).

Other menu highlights include grilled wraps and quesadillas, including a chicken fajita wrap, spinach tuna melt and “Monte Crisp Griller” (ham, Swiss, turkey, mayonnaise and mustard, dipped in batter, grilled and lightly dusted with powdered sugar with jam on the side).

“We do hot wraps, cold wraps and even lettuce wraps for our gluten-free customers,” Griffith said. “We have items for everyone, including vegans. We take care of everybody.”

By just reading the business’ name, most people wouldn’t know that one of Wrap’d Tight’s most popular selections is its wide array of overstuffed baked potatoes.

Around a dozen loaded baked potato varieties include a “Steak ‘n Potato” (slow-cooked sliced steak with sauteed onion gravy) and “Southwest Chicken” (chicken, black bean corn salsa and cheese).

Top-sellers include the “All or Nothing” (butter, sour cream, chives, crumbled bacon, melted cheddar cheese, broccoli, chili and chicken) and “Hot Potato” (Buffalo chicken, cheese and hot peppers).

“This is a great next step for us, and we’re very much looking forward to expanding our reach and meeting new friends,” Griffith said of the Palmer Park Mall location.

Back to the Arcade II opened Nov. 8 in a renovated space next to Spin Me Round record store.

The arcade is a second location of Back to the Arcade, which has operated at the South Mall since November 2021.

Prior to 2021, owner Mark Paden ran the business for about two years out of the now-closed Merchants Square Mall in Allentown.

The South Mall location will continue to operate as normal, Paden said.

“I’m really excited,” Paden said. “The Palmer Park Mall is beautiful, and I’m excited to create another great spot for people of all ages to have fun.”

“Back to the Arcade has a great following and is very family friendly,” added Karla Saavedra, the mall’s general manager. “I think it’s going to be a wonderful addition to the Palmer Park community.”

Initially, Back to the Arcade II guests can play around 30 arcade games, and this collection will grow to include several more machines in the coming months, Paden said.

To start, guests can play pinball machines such as Elvira, Venom, John Wck and Guns ‘N Roses, along with upright cabinet games such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Q*bert, Asteroids and Millipede.

There are also other games such as air hockey and Super Chexx bubble hockey.

At the South Mall location, guests can play more than 70 classic 1980s upright cabinet games like Burger Time, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon and Galaga.

There is also a wide variety of other types of games, including air hockey, Skee-Ball, Super Chexx bubble hockey, immersive shooting games such as “Jurassic Park” and Big Buck HD Wild and claw machines where you can move a metal claw for a chance to win prizes.

More than a dozen pinball machines include classic selections such as Jaws, The Munsters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, along with selections modeled after new pop culture favorites such as Stranger Things and The Mandalorian.

No quarters or tokens are needed to play the games.

Guests pay one price for all-day play. The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for ages 18 and under and $10 for veterans and ages 60 and older.

“When I designed the arcade, my goal was to offer something for everyone in every age group,” Paden said.

“So, we have a lot of retro games and pinball machines, and we also have some newer games as well. It’s a beautiful sight when younger kids are playing the older games. It’s almost like they’re excited to step back in time.”

As is the case at the South Mall arcade, the new Palmer Park Mall arcade features brightly colored walls, black lights and television and film memorabilia, Paden said.

Originally, the arcade is occupying one Palmer Park Mall space, but Paden said he eventually plans to add a connection to an adjacent unit.

“You’re going to walk into the next room, and that’s going to be a place where you’re really going to go back in time,” Paden said. “It’s going to be wild.”

Paden said he is excited to expand his vision for family fun at the Palmer Park Mall.

Like the South Mall location, the new location also features a party area for hosting birthday parties and other private events, including bachelor parties, Boy Scout events and sports team celebrations, Paden said.

Uncle Juju’s Crazy Deals, a discount variety store offering deals on clothing, furniture, housewares and more, opened about three weeks ago at the mall.

Customers can shop a wide assortment of items, including home goods such as fans, computer desks, sheets and bedding, hairy dryers and curling irons, paper shredders, picture frames, water filtration pitchers and seasonal décor, at small fraction of their regular retail prices.

Other steeply discounted items include shoes, books, toys, art supplies, pet leashes and accessories, outdoor items such as tents and inflatable pools, automotive items such as car jump starters with air compressors, fashion accessories such as hats and apparel such as collared shirts, jeans and jackets.

Uncle Ju Ju’s is owned and operated by Daniel King, who also operates King’s Wholesales in Shippensburg, Saavedra said.

Aroma Authentic Indian Cuisine, offering Indian, Chinese and Pakistani specialties, opened in mid-October, co-owner Yasdeep Singh said.

The space previously housed The New Ranchito, a former restaurant offering Mexican and Puerto Rican dishes.

Singh is operating Aroma with his wife, Harsharan Kaur.

Customers can enjoy starters such as chicken and vegetable samosas, soups such as corn and manchow, breads such as garlic and butter naan and popular entrees such as chicken tikka masala, kadai chicken, goat curry, goat korma, lamb chops, saag lamb, fish pakora and tandoori shrimp.

Other menu highlights include biryani selections such as chicken, goat and lamb; karahi options such as chicken, goat and shrimp; South Indian dishes such as cheese dosa, onion chili dosa and pav bhaji; and Indo Chinese dishes such as hakka noodles, vegetable fried rice and gobi Manchurian with gravy.

All dishes are halal.

Aroma, with seating for approximately 90 guests, also offers a variety of gyros, burgers and desserts such as gulab jamun, malai kulfi and ice cream.

An all-you-can-eat buffet feast, $25 per person, is offered noon to 3 p.m. Friday through Monday.

Other recent additions

The Palmer Park Mall also welcomed a few businesses in the spring.

Blue Flame Events, known for organizing festivals, vendor events and other functions throughout the Lehigh Valley and Poconos, in early April opened its first brick-and-mortar store – featuring items from more than 100 local crafters and small business owners.

Shoppers can browse a wide array of hand-crafted items, including home decor, children’s toys and fashion accessories such as jewelry and handbags.

The store also features selections from Blue Flame Events co-owners Timothy and Kimberly Stockers’ own business, Candleman Creations, such as all-natural soy candles, wax melts and bath and body products such as soaps, moisturizers and beard care products.

Another new addition is Santalexa & Fitness Love, offering hair care products and services, eyelashes and more, which opened in mid-March at the eastern end of the mall, near Boscov’s.

Shoppers can browse 100% human hair extensions and wigs, eyelashes, laminated eyebrows and hair care and weight loss products.

Santalexa is owned and operated by Santa Martinez, an entrepreneur who expanded her brand to include educational training in 2022.

Martinez educates women looking to acquire knowledge about hair extensions by teaching different techniques.

Santalexa offers high-quality, natural hair extensions and various hair vitamins, containing ingredients such as Morrocan oil, jojoba oil, camellia seed oil, aloe vera and Vitamins A, C, E and B5.

Other Santalexa items include a professional hair iron, electric comb with diamond handle and brush with pink diamond accents.

In addition to these most recent additions, businesses opening at the mall over the past couple of years include: Asante Art Gallery, showcasing a variety of African artwork; and Hocca Bubble Tea, specializing in freshly prepared bubble tea and bubble waffles.

Additionally, Cloud City, which buys, sells and trades games, comics, toys and collectibles, moved in summer 2023 from its two-year-old location at the western end of the mall (near Decor Home Furniture & Mattresses) to a larger location at the eastern end of the mall (near Boscov’s).

The mall also bid farewell to a few businesses over the past year. 

American Eagle Outfitters, a popular clothing chain, closed its Palmer Park Mall store in January; Milford Furniture, selling a wide variety of household furnishings, closed its Palmer Park Mall store in March; and The Arcade Era, offering retro and modern arcade games, closed its Palmer Park Mall location in the summer, but it is continuing to operate a location at the Stroud Mall in Stroud Township.

The Palmer Park Mall has more than 40 tenants, and its sole remaining vacancy is the former American Eagle space, Saavedra said.