Findlay Mall businesses: Where are they now?

FINDLAY — More than a year after the Findlay Village Mall closed, residents have wondered what became of the businesses that were sticking it out in the local retail landmark as the main portion of the facility was set for demolition. Through an initial survey, The Courier found that of the 19 stores in the mall at the time of closing, so far, three have reopened, four are in progress, two owners have moved to other businesses and 10 haven't reopened in the area. A Martian's Closet A Martian's Closet was a resale store in the mall. Owner Voshon Cousin relocated his business to Fostoria. "Late October, they had told me … they're going to be shutting down the mall, knocking it down. So I had already pre-planned. I have a buddy that owns a bunch of houses and … had bought a couple of downtown buildings in Fostoria," Cousin said. "I was already in my head thinking, 'I'm going to call my friend and see if we can start working on that, on the downtime.' I was supposed to be out by Dec. 1. [It] took me a couple months, but Feb. 14 or 13 was my grand opening for the Fostoria store." After opening in Fostoria, Cousin said the biggest difference is the foot traffic compared to his store in the mall. "People still came to the mall, but it was dying. But I had a lot of foot traffic, because people still came to the mall just to walk, to look around … It was better than here in Fostoria, but it's just better in different ways. Like Fostoria, it's cheaper here," Cousin said. A Martian's Closet specializes in vintage or "high tier" items. "I try to lean towards more niches, like the vintage niche, like NASCAR, Harley [Davidson], or on a fashion standpoint, more like high-tier fashion, Supreme, Nike's, Jordans, things that are harder to get," Cousin said. A Martian's Closet is located at 138 E. Tiffin St. in Fostoria. Gabel's Garage Gabel's Garage: Cards and Collectables was a trading card and collectables store in the mall that reopened at a new location in Findlay. The store reopened on Feb. 22, 2025, about two months after the mall closed. Gabel's Garage is located at 214 S. Main St. Shoe Sensation There had been a Shoe Sensation in the mall and another location in Findlay for many years, but there are still two in the area. One is located at 1135 W. Trenton Ave., and after the mall closed, one opened at 7430 Timberstone Dr. Also, in visual renderings of the new Shops at Findlay retail development set to go in at 2801 Tiffin Ave., a Shoe Sensation is depicted there. 'The Shops at Findlay' will be built southeast of the U.S. 224-County Road 236 intersection, the former site of a Lowe's. Renderings show a number of stores that may be set to go in, though officials nor developers have confirmed all establishments coming to the site. Children's Museum of Findlay The Children's Museum of Findlay is preparing to open at its newly-renovated new location. Now at 11600 County Road 99, the museum will offer exhibits previously seen at the mall, along with some new ones. "We have several from the mall that will be returning, and that's really what we'll start with for opening. The Farm, The Dentist, a lot of our little Main Street exhibits are coming back. We have a new math exhibit that's constructed by a Findlay High School math class. And then some of the other favorites as well, such as the big blue blocks," Behm-Kemmere said. "We're doing some rotating exhibits, which I think will be fun. Every month, we'll switch out some pieces, so every time the kids come in, they'll have a little bit of a new experience." Behm-Kemmere thinks that their new location closer to I-75 will bring in more people than before. "It gives the opportunity to bring in some visitors from surrounding communities and help boost the Findlay economy and attract new people to our community of Findlay and Hancock County itself," Behm-Kemmere said. "We feel very confident that they will seek us out at our new location, just given the amount of enthusiasm and feedback we get from when we're out in the community discussing our reopening." After being closed since Jan. 19, 2025, Behm-Kemmere is excited to bring the museum back for the kids who missed out the first time. "We're just really looking forward to getting to see the kids and their families again, bringing in younger kids who were maybe too young when the museum closed, they've never got to experience it … we have big plans and great hopes for our future," Behm-Kemmere said. Tokyo Steakhouse According to a Facebook post, Tokyo Steakhouse will be relocating to 1645 Tiffin Ave. Construction is set to start this summer. "If all goes as planned, we look forward to welcoming you back before next winter," reads the flyer depicted in the post. While waiting for Tokyo Steakhouse to make its return, the owners also opened Hibachi Dash on May 26, 2025, at 1042 Interstate Court. Maurices According to renderings of The Shops at Findlay, Maurices is set to open at the site. When the Maurices at the mall closed, many employees moved to the location in Bowling Green. An employee who did not have authority to speak for the company said they know only what has been posted to social media. "I don't have any official knowledge or anything. We all are very invested and excited, too … we just hear everything that everybody else is hearing," said the employee. Bath and Body Works According to the same Shops rendering, a Bath and Body Works is also set to open at the location. The developer, River Rock Property Group, has not formally released all stores to be at the location. Great American Cookies According to a Facebook post from the Great American Cookies Findlay Village Mall account posted on June 24, 2025, the cookie shop's ownership was working on relocating in Findlay. "Working hard in this heat wave on our store relocation! Hot announcement coming soon," reads the post. This was the most recent message published on the page. According to an anonymous employee from the Maumee location, "[The owners are] relocating in Findlay, and I think that's what they're planning on doing right now." The Maumee location, owned by the same family who owned the Findlay location, is at 3100 Main St. at The Shops at Fallen Timbers. Candles, Clothes and Beyond Candles, Clothes and Beyond (CC&B) reopened in Campton, Kentucky, and then opened a restaurant called The Wicked Wolfe. CC&B closed and began selling merchandise in the restaurant. On Oct. 15, 2025, The Wicked Wolfe burned down, leaving the family to find a new location. The restaurant's most recent Facebook post from March 14 reads, "We secured a building and the rebuild should begin in just a few short weeks … It will take quite a few months to get it done but we are finally on our way!" The remainder In a post for the mall's Finish Line store published Jan. 13, 2025, the assistant manager at the time wrote, "They are currently looking for a retail location to reopen us in Findlay as a JD Sports location, but we do not know when or where that would be." The business has not reopened in Findlay as a Finish Line, nor a JD Sports. Books-A-Million was searching for a new location, but was unsuccessful. "I was informed today that Books-A-Million has chosen to not relocate in Findlay. The location choices that they were looking at were less than ideal for their vision at this time," wrote the former manager in a Facebook post on April 8, 2025. The owner of M A Sports moved to South Carolina, and has no plans on reopening. Zara's Threading Lounge, We're Rolling Pretzel Company, Hot Topic, Spencers, VIP Lao Cuisine, Daily Thread and Claire's all have not reopened in the area.