How Hilldale Shopping Center Thrives With New Retail and Dining

While traditional shopping malls across the country fight empty storefronts, Hilldale Shopping Center in Madison reports it is nearly full following about a dozen openings over the past two years, wmtv15news.com reported. The outdoor shopping center has introduced a mix of first-to-Wisconsin national brands and local businesses as part of an evolving retail and dining lineup.

Walking through an outdoor retail space in mid-November usually means dodging empty storefronts and “for lease” signs in many mid-sized American cities. Yet Hilldale Shopping Center sits in a different reality. Management points to a steady wave of tenant arrivals that has filled nearly every available foot of commercial space across the property.

What is opening, closing, and coming soon to Hilldale?

Change has arrived quickly across the property over the last 24 months. The dining and retail roster has shifted as older tenants step aside and fresh concepts move into their footprints. Gigi’s Cupcakes closed its doors in September 2025, but that vacancy did not last long. Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company stepped into the space, opening its doors earlier this year as part of the center’s push to balance national brands with regional favorites.

Other transitions mark major shifts for the center’s culinary scene. Italian restaurant Amara permanently closed its doors in July 2024. Late this summer, modern Italian scratch kitchen North Italia took over that footprint, establishing the national brand’s very first Midwest location.

“It’s super exciting,” Catie Swimm, executive chef at North Italia, said in an interview with wmtv15news.com. “It’s definitely a community that people seem to cherish around here, and I’m excited for Madison to grow with us.”

Ali Scherer, general manager of North Italia, added that the restaurant aims to offer elevated yet casual service tailored for everything from game days to date nights. “We’re honored to be a part of Hilldale,” Scherer said. “Everyone seems pretty excited about it and a lot of times people say they haven’t had anything just exactly like this just yet, so that part is exciting.”

What’s open, closed, and coming soon to Madison’s Hilldale Shopping Center

Not every departure has been filled instantly, however. The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co. closed its Hilldale location last November, and that space remains vacant. Longtime tenant Dumpling Haus closed in May after 15 years in operation. Shoppers won’t have to wonder about that storefront’s long-term future, though. A contemporary Thai restaurant operated by the team behind Thai Basil Madison is scheduled to fill the vacancy in 2027.

Behind these individual storefront shifts sits a deliberate strategy from property leadership to mirror the surrounding municipality. Amanda Stiebens, general manager at Hilldale Shopping Center, explained the community-focused approach to wmtv15news.com.

“Ultimately, Hilldale loves being a part of the Madison community and reflecting Madison on our property, so it’s really special to see our businesses perform and welcome new neighbors.”

While management declined to share exact occupancy percentages for retail and restaurant square footage, they emphasized through a corporate-approved statement that leasing interest remains high and ongoing momentum speaks for itself.

For regular visitors, the shift goes beyond simple retail therapy. Patty Elson, a Madison resident who spends time at the center, noted that the property functions differently than a standard enclosed mall. People bring laptops, sit at tables with coffee, bring their dogs, and treat the outdoor corridors as a central neighborhood square rather than just a place to buy goods.

That communal gravity explains why new storefronts find willing customers even as foot traffic struggles at indoor malls elsewhere in the region. The focus on local identity mixed with regional debuts appears to be working, keeping the walkways busy as winter approaches.

Worth a look