Cheesecake factory--PF Changs--Bobby Flay Steak house--

People still travel north and south for what they want , used to be factory outlets..not so much anymore as the savings and quality were NOT there.as we all found out.Freehold and Monmouth still draw O.C. residents as well as Malls in AC. and Pa....I know we go to Wegmans in Ocean and Trader Joe's in Shrewsbury...Bobby Flay's and Now Joe's Crab Shack are at Monmouth Mall...have to get something different here to draw crowds again...they have to do there homework. El Chico's was NOT the right choice for here. OC has Chinese restaurants by the dozens , just on Fisher Blvd...and 37 has MORE than enough already ! PF Changs and Cuba Libre are one hour away...

PF CHANGS PF CHANGS PF CHANGS :)

An arcade and a day care center

Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, or Cabela's.

The mall needs an invisible fence like I have for my dog in the yard- but the one at the mall will repell rude manored juveniles with face piercings that stand out front and blow smoke all over you as you walk in. Perhaps once again it will be a pleasure to shop there

Remember the days when there was no mall? We used to shop on Main Street when I was a kid.

The next time you are in the mall, go to the center and look at the roof. Take notice of the water damage, and then go by Burger King and Sears, more water damage. A few years back when i was one of the pain in the butt teenagers there, the mall flooded because water was shooting out of the potholes in the floors. This mall is on it's way out, evidenced by the lack of stores, or interesting ones for that matter. The book stores, toy stores, resturants (Friendlys specifically) and many of the stores near the Pennys side are long gone. Also, regarding teenagers and smoking, age should have nothing to do with it, you wanna get rid of teenage smokers, you have to get rid of all of them. Regarding Teenagers, if you REALLY dont want to run into them, I reccomend going any day besides Friday. Why do kids flock to the mall? Because it's winter at the Jersey Shore, where there's nothing to do. I go for the exercise and to see what new deals the few remaining stores have. But in my honest opinion TEAR IT DOWN.

An authentic portugese style restaurant would be nice........

PF Changs, Buffalo Wild Wings, On The Border, RedStone, Iron Hill Brewery, Joe's Crab Shack, Bahama Breeze...Just a few suggestions.

How about H&M. Cheesecake Factory or P.F.Changs.

The teen agers flock to the mall because their idiotic parents drop them there to be baby sat. They run back and forth to seacourt pavilion to risk their lives to cross a highway that is dark. My children do not and never will go the mall alone because I believe nothing good can come out of it. Fights, Drugs, drinking, police arrests every week. My kids are either home, at a friends house, or doing their sports. These MALL RATS are the way they are because of bad parenting....And yes- I know there are good kids there too- but they are the ones who will be victimized by the otheres.

It amazes me that a shore community as ours doesn't have a Joe's Crab Shack. Big Fish is a good seafood place as well if you're going to go that direction.

Prediction:: Those two liquor licenses will wind up in the hands of Mr. D'Onifrio.

P F Chang or a CASUAL seafood place. There are no casual seafood places to get seafood in this beach community!

Golden Corral..... not enuf room for those other places and we need a reasonable priced place to fill up.

I say instead of pushing the kids out and putting in another over priced food establishment, put in a community center or something that will keep the kids entertained. The mall can use it to their advantage and still make a bundle. This town should be embracing ideas like this as we have a large community of teens in the area and lack of things for them to do year round.

I work in the mall unfortunately. It's been so dead lately, they need something exciting to get people but I don't have much hope. They are currently building a h

The mall is called "the desparation mall" the place where you go when you have to. It definitely needs some attractions to get the crowd back. The rent is extremely high and perhaps consideration should be given to small business owners who would like to sell their products there. I personally would like to see an old fashioned city "corner store" that sells milk, bread, etc. Also, a farmer-type market that sells organic products would be convenient to many. Get some celebs in big crowd attraction, perhaps have local TV shows, Have a "how to" demos for garden, home repair, crafts. I know people are not spending money due to lack of job but the Ocean County Mall definitely needs to expand their horizons and think of the local people...if they do, people remember and are thankful and faithful.

Red Robin... Yummmmm

The trend seems to be a chain pharmacy on each corner of the property and a chain dollar store at each end followed by a thousand seat chinese buffet in the food court. That formula brings them to Brick 7 days a week

Toms River is the most under-utilized town of 100,000 people. What a waist of space and creativity. It really shows that the township could care less about what is or isn't going to be filling up all of these vacancies. The mayor and subordinates should look at how other towns attract big business and chains for help. This is really pathetic. There will never be a whole foods, Wegmans Dave& Busters or Trader Joes here. Toms River is down and out!!!

I do not know if there is room for it but I have been to a Mall in Maryland that has a Bass Pro and a Medevil Times. That would be something different and would provide jobs and entertainment.

Ocean county mall and TR cannot compete with what Bricktown has. It has to have what Bricktown doesn't. It also has to stop letting D'Onofrio ruin this towns eateries!

The Ocean County Mall needs a complete makeover! They should put a Johnny Rockets, Cheesecake Factory, Chick-Fil-A, Barnes & Noble, etc... It needs a complete overhaul!

As a business owner I find these comments interesting but all ridiculous. While another great restaurant would be great it's not likely. Rent is too high for what type of mall it is. C rated at best. The mix of consumers is weak due to the fact of the mix of businesses. "Mall rats" are a given. It's been that way for 20 years across the country...get over it. The owner of the mall
needs to invest their efforts to restructure the mall by refacing the outside appearance, adding pad sites in front and seeking new "hot" concepts to fill vacant spots inside. I'm all for local shopping. Unfortunately the mall structure is not set up for the little guy to succeed.

In my opinion, the Ocean County Mall has NOT kept up with its other mall competitors. It is worth the GAS to go to other malls to spend some hours just looking around. The outmigration just to the Del. Malls are going!!! If Ocean County is a fastest going county in NJ the mall has not kept up. I am sorry to say the Ocean County Mall is now just another strip mall with a big parking lot!!

Chipotle would be great! inexpensive a must! Gotta get a place that won't hurt Applebees.

For 20 years this mall has been "dull". People never really frequented this mall compared to other more "glamorous" malls in the state. You turn this place into a flea market type thing and it'll be so busy you can't find parking. Sad but true.

An apple store would be great!

Ocean County cant support a restaurant like Cheesecake Factory, that is why the other restaurants closed. OC mall is a second rate mall at best. That is why everyone goes to Freehold Mall or father North.

A "juice bar" ;)

The Simon Group, the corporation who owns the OCM, is no more interested in renovating this mall, or their other mall in Livingston. Their stores are shabby and not relevant, their rents are too high, and their anchor stores are not in the league of their counterparts in Eatontown and Freehold. And face it, folks -- the socio-economic demographics of Toms River prevent upscale stores from wanting to relocate here. This town in the last 20 years has gone downhill. Incomes have dropped and crime has increased. Why would upscale stores want to move here?

The Ocean County Mall is going to end up like the old Dover Mall eventually.

I think the money and time invested in improving the mall would be better used to figure out how to get stores and restaurants downtown. I know a lot of people I talk to would love to be able to walk around and shop and eat without going to a mall. The downtown area of TR is going to waste. There is a river there. There is a walkway. Why can't anything be done there? I think it's a shame that we live in a county that is surrounded by a river and beaches and all we can see is garbage, vacant land, vacant stores, crappy motels. Shame on the powers that could change this.

Wow.. that's just too nasty.

put an in and out burger there. it would be a friggin gold mine

bricks restaurants are always packed because their upfront and people can see them from the road. you can't hide a restaurant in the back of a mall and think it will do good. of course price also has alot to do with it too. benihana too high priced and i didn't even know chicos was there.

It needs a jail cell for all the delinquents.

asian massage parlor.. "rates are negotiable" just like up in Fort Lee!!
Seriously BRO.. come on.. look @ Freehold. even its food court is decent.. Ours will make you sick from both ends.. i dont even know where to start, but right now the OL' Slash & Burn method comes to mind...

I was a store manager for several years at OC mall. The number one complaint from customers was the poor food court. People view this mall as a quick stop for Macy's only. There have been numerous store closings in the last few years. The traffic in the mall is so slow, the "mall walkers" in the AM and teens on a Fri night is all that is left. I think the mall needs a few classy women's clothing stores (banana republic, Ann Taylor, chicos, etc) and a total food court makeover complete with taco bell, chic fil a, baha fresh, and a self serve yogurt shop. I still have faith in the good old' OC mall!

Yard House, Tilted Kilt, and Hooters. All would be great additions to Ocean County.

FIve Guys , Cheeseburger Cheeseburger or Smash Burger - High end restuarnts will not work here. The problem is the rental cost is keeping the business from coming. Just look at Brick the Turning Point isn't cheap but they are always busy.You can also look at Joe's Crab Shack which does great at the Monmouth Mall location.

Screw that homophobic bigoted company Chick-fil-A. If the OCM every opens their doors to them I will never shop there again.

Chic-Fil-A would be great to add to the food court. It really needs a make over.

No more chain restaurants please! This area is flooded with them!

Hi everyone, can anyone tell me the name of the apartments very close to the Ocean County Mall? Thanks for your precious time on my behalf. Sandt ~Smile~

Outback would do the job

In reference to Wholefoods, Wegmans etc., I know that Wholefoods does a ton of research on the communities they expand into. It is all based on education. I just don't see Toms River being up to the standards of say, Cherry Hill, Princeton or any of the affluent communities up North.

Like some others have already pointed out, I believe the mall needs a complete overhaul or significant expansion. We moved to Toms River ten years ago and do all of our holiday shopping in Freehold or Menlo Park. The Ocean County mall has always been a "last minute" trip, nothing more. Freehold has turned it's mall into a complete entertainment experience with indoor and outdoor shops and restaurants. There just isn't any comparison. Toms River has always been a major disappointment in that sense. Very little in terms of night life, restaurants and entertainment. It has a very "bay shore area" kinda feel. Sad.