MASHANTUCKET -- The long-awaited Tanger Outlets at Foxwoods will officially open to the public on Thursday at 10 a.m., but VIPs and the media had a sneak preview on Wednesday night.
The 300,000-square-foot indoor outlet mall, which has 80 discount stores, is not just attractive to shopaholics. Sam Romanella, owner of K and M All Star Sports, called the new venue a 'mecca' and a 'grandslam.'
"To be able to be in a casino of this magnitude is exciting because I never thought we'd have the opportunity to be in a place like this," said Romanella of his 25-year-old business that he founded with his wife.
Romanella said he jumped at the opportunity for a potential 2 to 3 million extra customers a year.
"They figure it's going to do probably about three times the amount of business we do at the Crystal Mall," Romanella said, speaking about his other Waterford-based store.
The outlet mall, an add-on to the existing casino at Foxwoods, was at least six years in the making, according to Rodney Butler, chairman of the Manshantucket-Pequot Tribe. Butler said the plan hatched before news of an incoming competitor to the north, the MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
"We're much more excited that we had it in the works because, quite frankly, knowing that Springfield is coming, I don't know we could've pulled this off but the fact that we had this in planning stages helped us get it across the finish line," Butler said, adding that the mall gives Foxwoods 'a competitive edge.'
"It's the first indoor outlet mall in Indian country," he told a crowd.
The $125 million investment hinges on the high rollers. Frequent Foxwoods gambler Melody Webb sees the connection. "It's another option if people don't want to want to spend money on the slots so they can go shopping and take their families there to get a little break," Webb said.
Both Butler and Romanella hope to serve up a happy ending to a Foxwoods stay, especially if the slots go south.
"If a guy goes out and gambles, loses a few bucks and he can go shopping in the Tanger Outlets and bring his wife and kids home a present, that's a kinda good way of getting himself out of trouble that he lost a few bucks," said Romanella laughing.
A grand opening ribbon cutting is set for Thursday morning. Tanger Outlet representatives told Fox CT said some of the already 50- to 70-percent-off stores will sell merchandise at even further discounts through the holiday weekend.