{"id":108428,"date":"2026-02-08T13:26:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T13:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/108428\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T13:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T13:26:10","slug":"repeated-moves-leads-lehigh-valley-mall-retailer-to-shutter-owner-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/108428\/","title":{"rendered":"Repeated moves leads Lehigh Valley Mall retailer to shutter, owner says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Constant shuffling of a 5-year-old boutique\u2019s location at the Lehigh Valley Mall<\/a> has caused its owner to vacate permanently.<\/p>\n

Jennifer\u2019s Unique Boutique,<\/a> formerly known as Small Business Gallery, was dark last week at the Whitehall Township mall\u2019s Lifestyle Center. The space previously housed Williams Sonoma, which vacated in January 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n

Owner Jennifer Smith announced on the business\u2019 Facebook page<\/a> just before Christmas plans to close shop at the mall. She told lehighvalleylive.com she officially vacated a few weeks later.<\/p>\n

Smith cited such reasons for the closure as the multiple changes to her location confusing patrons and this winter\u2019s bitter cold forcing shoppers into the interior mall.<\/p>\n

The boutique launched in November 2021 on the interior mall\u2019s lower level before being temporarily moved to the Lifestyle Center<\/a> in spring 2023. The shift was the result of Victoria\u2019s Secret<\/a>\u2018s renovation work and temporary move by that retailer.<\/p>\n

Two other mall location changes followed that move with Smith once again ending up in the former Williams Sonoma spot, she said. She couldn\u2019t return to her original spot because Address For Him already celebrated a grand opening in that space.<\/p>\n

Smith ultimately was offered a chance to return once again inside the mall, but with higher rent, she said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen again I have to pay all the moving fees, permit fees, go through inspections again, etc.,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I decided it was time to leave the mall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shannon Palzer, director of marketing and business development at Lehigh Valley Mall, said the mall remains committed to curating the \u201cmost sought\u2011after brands and delivering dynamic, new-to-market experiences” as the retail landscape continues to evolve.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy continuously refreshing our offerings, we ensure our centers stay vibrant, relevant and inspiring \u2014 creating an exciting environment where our customers can discover something new every time they visit,” she said.<\/p>\n

Smith has since moved the boutique to the multi-merchant market along North White Oak Street in Kutztown. That location is closer to her Berks County home and geared more toward small business owners, she said.<\/p>\n

Jennifer\u2019s Unique Boutique was known at the mall for its trove of home decor, personal care, gifts and jewelry items from regional artisans. <\/p>\n

There were seasonal items, sports team memorabilia, wooden plant stands, trinkets, pillows and children\u2019s items. There were garden flags, wooden signs with such sayings as \u201cI made a wish and you came true,\u201d and some clothing items and sunglasses. <\/p>\n

Additionally, Smith sells from her own handbags, jewelry and accessory line through another business venture she launched in 2012.<\/p>\n

\"Chick-fil-AChick-fil-A departed Lehigh Valley Mall in late December 2025. The chicken chain still operates a nearby site on MacArthur Road in Whitehall, as well as in Pohatcong Township, Lower Nazareth Township and Lower Macungie Township.Shane DiMaioMore departures<\/p>\n

The closure of Jennifer\u2019s Unique Boutique follows some other recent departures at the bustling shopping destination, at MacArthur Road (Route 145) and Route 22.<\/p>\n

In the past six months, the mall experienced holes in its dining roster and at least one major establishment eagerly attempting to find a new owner to stay in operation.<\/p>\n

Chick-fil-A departed in late December. The chicken chain still operates a nearby site on MacArthur Road in Whitehall, as well as locations in Pohatcong Township, Lower Nazareth Township and Lower Macungie Township<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also in December, Dunderbak\u2019s Market Cafe<\/a> owner Bill Baker announced on Facebook <\/a>he\u2019s talking with interested parties over buying the eatery. Baker said last summer he would close permanently<\/a> if he couldn\u2019t find a new owner by February 2026.<\/p>\n

However, Baker\u2019s most recent post on the pending sale<\/a> stated he could be open a little longer, operating on a month-to-month basis, until a settlement date is reached.<\/p>\n

The cafe remains the longest continuously operated, independently owned business at the mall.<\/p>\n

Dino Sweets was no longer operating in early December on the mall\u2019s upper level and has since been removed from the online directory.<\/a> The kiosk operated for five years at the mall.<\/p>\n

Prior to that closure, Indian Bite shuttered for good on Oct. 6 and Tasty Bitez, a restaurant serving up Mediterranean-style cuisine, shuttered sometime in the fall, both on the main level.<\/p>\n

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in September closed <\/a>in the former Bravo! Cucina Italiana space at the Lifestyle Center. A message on the chain\u2019s website<\/a> later indicated all locations have since shuttered.<\/p>\n

\"Dunkin'Dunkin’ opened Dec. 29, 2025 at Lehigh Valley Mall, marking significant shifts in the mall’s dining options as it fills retail vacancies.Pamela Sroka-Holzmann | For lehighvalleylive.comFilling storefronts<\/p>\n

The mall, however, has done a decent job at quickly filling spaces.<\/p>\n

A long-awaited Dunkin\u2019 opened on Dec. 29 in the kiosk space formerly operated by Starbucks on the main level, across from LUSH and Francesca\u2019s. Starbucks abruptly shuttered in late August<\/a> 2024.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Drink Fresh by Djurdjura recently opened on the mall\u2019s upper level. The business serves fresh fruit smoothies.<\/p>\n

Prior to that, Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery<\/a> filled the 2,200-square-foot anchor space previously occupied by Pocono Brewing Co. at the mall\u2019s Lifestyle Center. D\u2019Colombia Restaurant & Bakery<\/a> opened in the summer and filled the former Indian Bite space.<\/p>\n

Amber Wong with Citizen Relations, the California- and New York-based public relations firm that handles communications for mall owner Simon Property Group, told lehighvalleylive.com Nori Japan<\/a> plans to move into the former Tasty Bitez space in the spring. The space is on the mall\u2019s main level, beside the Chick-fil-A space. That eatery plans to serve up Japanese-style selections prepared with fresh ingredients.<\/p>\n

Also on tap: There are plans in spring 2027 to bring to bring Dallas, Texas-based Brazilian-American steakhouse chain Texas de Brazil to the former Ruby Tuesday space<\/a> on the mall\u2019s main level, Wong said. Ruby Tuesday vacated during the coronavirus pandemic and sat idle ever since.<\/p>\n

Offline by Aerie, featuring an activewear line, also plans to move this spring into space across from Buckle on the upper level, Wong said.<\/p>\n

Other vacancies also have been filled on the retail side, with the mall recently welcoming women\u2019s fashion retailer, Dry Goods<\/a>; Star Park Indoor Playground & Party; and Sugar Bear Candy Store<\/a>, all on the main level, as well as Waikiki, a women\u2019s boutique, on the upper level.<\/p>\n

Some lingering empty storefronts remain. Shoppers can find them at the former Chick-fil-A space; former Face Foundrie space at the Lifestyle Center; near the Pink store on the main level; and scattered about on the mall\u2019s upper level, according to mall directory maps.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Constant shuffling of a 5-year-old boutique\u2019s location at the Lehigh Valley Mall has caused its owner to vacate…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":108429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154,52012],"class_list":["post-108428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news","tag-chik-fil-a"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108428\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}