Northgate Station is lining up three national restaurant brands, with Shake Shack, Mendocino Farms and Joe & The Juice expected to open in 2027 as Simon Property Group continues turning the former Northgate Mall into a mixed-use center. The additions are another step in the shift from a car-centric, big-box mall to a transit-connected neighborhood hub anchored by the Kraken Community Iceplex and new housing. For nearby residents and hotel guests, it means more places to eat within a short walk of the Northgate light-rail stop and the on-site Residence Inn.
Confirmed By Business Reporting
According to updated leasing materials cited by the Puget Sound Business Journal, Shake Shack, Mendocino Farms and Joe & The Juice are listed as planned tenants at Northgate Station. The refreshed marketing reflects a broader leasing push as the property moves away from big-box retail and toward more food options and street-level activity that can catch both daily commuters and event crowds.
Part Of A Wider Redevelopment Push
The three incoming chains arrive in the middle of Simon Property Group’s multi-year overhaul of the 55-acre former mall into a walkable district that mixes housing, retail and entertainment. The Urbanist has tracked the first residential groundbreakings and retail reshuffling on the site, detailing how former mall parcels are being reconfigured for new uses. At the same time, Sound Transit reports that the Northgate Link light-rail extension has altered travel patterns and made the station area more attractive to retailers and new residents. With the Kraken Community Iceplex, along with recently delivered hotel rooms and apartments, the center now has built-in weekday and event traffic that restaurant operators tend to like.
Local Flavor Alongside The Chains
Developers are pairing the national names with neighborhood operators to capture different kinds of traffic throughout the day. Hoodline covered a local entrant, Supreme Dumplings, which is opening a hockey-themed outpost at Northgate Station aimed at Kraken fans and evening visitors. The mix of big brands to draw daytime customers and local concepts to build identity and repeat business follows a familiar playbook for former malls trying to reinvent themselves as steady, all-day destinations.
Where And When
Simon’s leasing page lists “Joe & the Juice, Mendocino Farms, and Shake Shack” under a “Coming Soon” banner for Northgate Station and gives the property address as 401 NE Northgate Way. In a LinkedIn update from Simon Property Group, Patrick Peterman said, “These additions represent the next chapter in Northgate Station’s transformation.” Neither Simon nor the restaurant brands have released firm opening dates beyond the expected 2027 window, and tenants typically share hours and grand-opening plans closer to launch.
