Fans of “The Simpsons” will want to head to Springfield Town Center, as a pop-up of the show’s iconic Moe’s Tavern will be open from Nov. 19 through Dec. 11.
JMC PopUps has signed a 3,345-square-foot lease at the 1.7 million-square-foot regional mall in Springfield, Va., with landlord, Philadelphia-based PREIT.
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Of course, “The Simpsons,” which has aired since 1990, is based in the fictitious town of Springfield — though that jerkwater burg is almost certainly based in Oregon, not Virginia.
“PREIT strives to offer dynamic, unique, family-fun entertainment to complement our retail and dining collections at our properties,” Debi Gilson, director of partnership initiatives for PREIT, told Commercial Observer. “We are fortunate to have found a creative partner, JMC PopUps, passionate about pop culture, food and, thankfully for us, shopping malls.”
The pop-up is not a real bar, but a homage to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and other memorable characters from the long-running show. (So don’t expect to be able to order a Flaming Moe.) It includes memorabilia, and customers are made to feel as if they are sitting in Homer’s favorite hangout.
“Moe’s Pop Up Experience reimagines a temporarily vacant space, bringing it to life by creating traffic-building, family-fun, immersive experiences that include souvenir merchandise and a dining component with themed menus,” Gilson said. “This is just one more way that Springfield Town Center stands out in the community from the competition, especially during the holiday season.”
The ticketed fan experience will run Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Customers could shoot pool, try the Love Tester, and even write on the blackboard.
PREIT is currently exploring hosting more parody pop-up themes in 2022, with Paddy’s Pub from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Jack Rabbit Slims from “Pulp Fiction” and Big Kahuna Burger in “From Dusk Till Dawn,” all on tap for its Philadelphia-based malls.
“When the concept tests well in our backyard, we roll them out across our portfolio,” Gilson said.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
