New Ontario Mills food court lineup takes shape

Well, that didn’t take long.

Following the closure at the end of the year of all but three eateries operated by HMS Host at the Ontario Mills food court (and those three were slated to close in April), a new lineup is already in place.

We’ve previously mentioned that Kelly’s Cajun Grill will return, as well as a newly-remodeled Panda Express, which was not operated by HMS Host. We’ve also let you know about two new restaurants, Charley’s Grilled Subs and Chicken Connection.

Today we received word that Sbarro and Burger King will remain beyond April following remodeling (sorry Bruegger’s Bagels fans), and will be joined by Stone Oven Gourmet Sandwiches and Salads, Sarku Japan and, perhaps best of all, Chipotle Mexican Grill.

That means that there will be five brand-new restaurants and four newly-remodeled favorites.

That’s in addition to the standalone Wetzel’s Pretzels and Hagen-Dazs, which also are not operated by HMS Host.

According to the press release, the food court renovation will feature a more contemporary design, comfortable furnishings, improved lighting, flooring and the proverbial “more.”

In addition, this spring, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius will open (I’m guessing in the spot where Banana’s Ultimate Juice Bar used to be) in the mall’s Neighborhood 4.

I’m sure Allan Borgen, Jeff Williams and the rest of the crew over at the Let’s Dine Out Show will be heave a sigh of relief, as they mentioned the food court shutdown a few weeks back as one of the worst food-related news items from last year.

It’s toward the end of the show, about an hour and 16 minutes into the broadcast.

You can listen below.