New restaurant opens in Westdale Mall

Bill Day refused to listen to warnings about opening a restaurant in the struggling Westdale Mall. So, he opened Teri D's, named after his wife, about a week ago. The eatery took over the empty space previously occupied by Maid-Rite on the upper level of the mall.

"We love to cook. So, we thought, let's just give it a shot,” Day said, “All the space needed was some equipment and some food.”

Fresh burgers, sandwiches and hearty soups have turned this risky idea into a successful business for the former construction worker.

"The people out here are so nice and friendly. I just have nothing but positive feedback for everybody,” Day said, “They say, ‘Thank God you're here.'”

More than half of the storefronts at Westdale sit empty. Customers think this new restaurant could be a sign things are changing.

"The prices are reasonable and the food is very good. We enjoy it,” customer Ken Erger said.

Erger's wife, Ginger, said, “I was really happy to see them come here. We live on this side of town and it's handy for us to go shopping here and walk here.”

The Ergers are just a few of the avid mall-walkers who have stopped by for a bite to eat. "There's a lot of people that walk by here and want to see the mall revitalized,” Day said.

Linn County employees stationed at the mall have also become regular customers.

"There's not much out here to begin with. So, getting new stores or new food places is good business for other stores that are here as well,” County employee Bridgett Wood said.

Right now, the restaurant serves about one-hundred people a day. Once more people sink their teeth into the food, Day expects to become even more successful.

"As time goes on and word of mouth travels, I think it will be overwhelming,” he said.

While it's too early to tell if the place will survive, Teri D's seems to have overcome the odds and thrived in a mall that might not make it.

Teri D's isn't the only new business popping up at Westdale. Manny Maldonado just opened a coffee shop called “Java Oasis” on the lower level as well.

“I certainly had people with discouraging words let me know this wasn't the best place for me to open up, but I feel pretty solid about it,” Maldonado said. He decided to open the shop after he saw a need for fresh coffee and pastries for mall customers, employees and county workers.