Dine-In Cinema with First-Run Movies Coming to Merle Hay Mall

Merle Hay Mall has reportedly landed a trendy new tenant that will help the Urbandale- and Des Moines-based mall, Iowa’s first enclosed shopping center, compete with newer, trendier malls in West Des Moines.

The mall owners are expected to announce Friday that Texas-based Flix Brewhouse, which offers first-run cinema to its customers while they enjoy craft beers and courses ranging from appetizers to desserts on a full menu, the Des Moines Register reported.

The new eight-screen, dine-in theater and brewery is set to open next summer and will be located in the upper level of the Younkers wing. The parking deck on the south side of the mall will be razed to accommodate a larger entrance Flix Brewhouse. The cost to bring dine-in-theater to the mall is $12 million.

Another new tenant, MC Sports, is about ready to open a 25,000-square-foot store near the Kohl’s wing, another big development for Merle Hay Mall. Since a major renovation six years ago, the 54-year-old mall has seen a renaissance, Chief Executive Elizabeth Holland told the newspaper.