Legacy is putting its weight behind the idea of one-of-a-kind ‘Food-Focused’ anchor tenants as the primary driver of visitor incentive in the coming years.
Currently, the company has three such ‘Destination Dining’ experiences in-development around the globe. Details of the first such project, located near Jakarta, Indonesia, are expected to be released this summer. Additional projects currently in development include sites in Saudi Arabia and China.
Barry Kemper, chief operating officer and co-owner of Legacy Entertainment, said: “While shopping habits may evolve and change, the desire to dine together is intrinsic to the human experience. It’s here to stay, and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of how far we can take it.”
“Of course this is not to say dining will replace retail, but we do anticipate that the anchor tenants of the 21st Century will put a priority on dining and entertainment.”
Among the best-known, current food-centric destinations include Eataly, who’s explosive growth has seen the debut of over 30 locations over the last decade. In Asia, Legacy’s primary market, the uproarious reception of the immersive Wenheyou Superb lends further credence to dining as a destination.
Beyond the restaurant tenants themselves, Legacy’s dining destinations will incorporate a wide variety of entertainment features, including immersive environments, live entertainment, and in some cases, carefully-integrated amusement rides.
Kemper added: “Hospitality lives or dies on repeat visitation. We are very sensitive to the fact that we cannot merely repeat the gimmick-based themed dining tropes of the 1990’s. Instead, we need to craft truly unique, brand-new experiences which in and of themselves become part of a community’s fabric. We are creating community-focused hubs which will serve as sources of pride for those who live nearby, and must-see destinations for non-locals. Our team is excited to share the first of these breath-taking developments very soon.”