Restaurant known for craft beers, deep-dish pizza sets opening date for Concord Mills

A new casual dining restaurant will open next month at Concord Mills following other recent retail store openings.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse will open Feb. 28, the California-based company exclusively confirmed for the Observer this week.

The 7,000-square-foot space is near H&M and Bonefish Grill at the Concord mall, BJ’s Restaurants said.

It will be the fourth BJ’s Restaurant in the Carolinas, and the first brewhouse in Concord Mills. Other locations that have opened in the past five years are: Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, Centrum at Crossroads shopping center in Cary and Columbiana Station Shopping Center in Columbia.

Another Charlotte-area mall also has plans to open a brewery and restaurant.

Last month, SouthPark mall said Suffolk Punch Brewing will open its second location in the city with a beer garden and taproom in the revamped West Plaza. It’s expected to open this summer. Both Concord Mills and SouthPark are owned by Simon.

There will be no brewing on site at the Concord site, however, company officials said. BJ’s Restaurants’ microbreweries supply beer to the other restaurants in the chain, according to the company.

BJ’s will hire about 160 employees in Concord, company officials said.

What to expect at BJ’s

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse is best known for its deep dish pizzas and its trademarked Pizookie dessert, a pizza-cookie hybrid topped with ice cream.

BJ’s also serves thin pizza, appetizers, salads, soups, pastas and entrees including steak, chicken, pork and seafood, as well as burgers and gluten-free options.

And, BJ’s Restaurants award-winning craft beers will be on tap. BJ’s Restaurants has been brewing beers since 1996 with operations in five states and by independent third-party craft brewers, according to the company.

More about BJ’s Restaurants

The 44-year-old company based in Huntington Beach, California, has more than 200 restaurants in 29 states under brand names BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, BJ’s Pizza & Grill and BJ’s Grill.

Microbreweries are located in Brea and West Covina, California; Boulder, Colorado; Temple, Texas; Reno, Nevada; and Chandler, Arizona, according BJ’s Restaurants.

The publicly traded company’s long-term plan is to open at least 425 restaurants in the U.S., according to BJ’s Restaurants’ financial reports.

Other Concord Mills store openings

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is among several other recent openings at the mall.

In the past year, new retailers include: Sephora, Bliss Modern Furniture, Dope Duffle, Mi Casa women’s apparel store, Pepper Palace, Vivian Jewelers and Dick’s sporting goods store.

Officials with Simon did not respond for comment about BJ’s.

This story was originally published January 20, 2022 at 6:12 AM with the headline "Restaurant known for craft beers, deep-dish pizza sets opening date for Concord Mills."