Simon to re-restaurant malls with José Andrés
A James Beard Award-winning chef who received a National Humanities Medal for providing food disaster relief in communities worldwide will now be re-setting the menus at several Simon Properties malls.
José Andrés, the Spanish chef who helped popularize tapas in the United States with dining concepts such as Jaleo and Mercado Little Spain, has been engaged by Simon to bring several examples of his Spanish-American cuisine to key properties including the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto and The Shops at Crystals and Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
"Simon Property Group is the preeminent retail property owner with a significant footprint in cities where we are looking to grow,” said sad Sam Bakhshandehpour, president of José Andrés Group (JAG). “Our innovative and diverse portfolio of restaurant brands put us in a unique position to build incredible culinary anchors in these key markets and developments.”
JAG has developed more than a dozen dining concepts that include the Peruvian-themed China Chilcano, the wryly named vegetarian eatery Beefsteak, and Zaytinya, which blends Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines.
In 2010, Andrés established the World Central Kitchen to institute culinary training programs in communities faced with serious food shortages. The dual citizen of Spain and the U.S. was named to Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list in 2012 and 2018. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama in 2015.
The celebrated chef holds two Michelin stars for his tasting counter Barmini by José Andrés in Washington D.C., as well as four Michelin Bib Gourmands, which recognize friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.
"We are proud of this announcement, which continues our commitment to owning and developing properties with premier dining and mixed-use experiences," said Simon co-president Jonathan Murphy.
On a stated mission to “change the world through the power of food,” JAG operates more than 30 restaurants in Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Orlando, Washington D.C, The Bahamas, and the United Arab Emirates.
