Oak Park Mall back in business after COVID-19 shutdown. Here’s how opening day looked

Oak Park Mall opened its doors Wednesday, weeks after it shut down to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But it wasn’t business as usual.

Only about two dozen retailers opened with the mall. JCPenney posted bright red signs “JCP Open,” drawing a steady stream of shoppers. But the Overland Park mall’s other anchors — Dillard’s, Macy’s and Nordstrom — were dark with no word on when they will resume operations.

Finish Line, a sneakers and athletic gear chain, was one of the most popular stops, with customers spaced out in a line in front. Only about a dozen shoppers were allowed in at a time.

About half the Oak Park Mall shoppers wore masks and some stopped at one of the sanitizer stations for a quick squirt.

Ali and Jasmine Osmar of Kansas City, masks firmly in place, admitted to being a little nervous as they entered the mall. Their 2-year-old son, Mahir, had outgrown some of his clothing during the shutdown so they planned just one stop to pick up some new outfits.

Zheno Goodloe of Kansas City also wanted to refresh his look and get ready for summer with new sneakers from Champs Sports. The store was closed but he stopped for a sandwich at Subway in the food court.

Play areas and children’s rides have been shut down, and the colorful car-shaped strollers were being packed away as the mall reduces the number of high-touch surfaces. Seating was removed from the food court right before the shutdown.

Some shops, such as Aerie apparel, had posted signs saying they would open later this week as employees cleaned inside. On the floor in front of Aerie were green circles reminding customers of the need for social distancing with the words, “Together, we build safe spaces.”

The combo Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip and Haagen-Dazs stand also will open later this week but it, too, had social distancing lines marked out. And it posted a new policy, “Due to the safety of our staff and customers we are implementing the no mask no service.”

Buckle allowed about 20 people to shop at a time and had gone through three groups by early afternoon. It cordoned off the front, directing people to enter on the right, leave on the left. Some shops offered free masks.

The Retro Zone, which sells vintage arcade games, comic books, action figures and other items, had turned to selling merchandise on Facebook during the shutdown. Sales were about the same as in the brick-and-mortar store but the owners grew tired of packing and shipping items.

“We are right by an entrance so they can come in and get right back out again,” said Derek Smith, co-owner of The Retro Zone with Billy Taylor, as he greeted some regulars. The business partners also hope to open an arcade on the upper center court by Starbucks this summer.

And one retailer was prepping for an Oak Park debut. Workers were painting the walls white at clothing store Daisy Lee Vintage for a Saturday opening.

As customers left the mall, they saw one last sign: “We missed you! Thank you for shopping today.”

This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 7:00 PM.