The New Addition - Centrio

Yep , the landscape  , she is a changing as a new player within the mall market comes to town . A bit more upscale than most in these pastures might be accustomed to she brings with her some retail venues entirely new to Cagayan de Oro .

As can be seen by some of the above shots it is different than the conventional mall layouts the locals are used too . Am told it has already become the hotspot for many to see and be seen at though i have been waiting for the Rustan's in particular to open .

Originally scheduled to open as early as December , then January , then February , then March and now April i reckon they been operating on Philippine time .  :-) Based on having visited Rustan's in both Cebu and Manila suburbs i am hopeful that expat goats will perhaps have access to a few more items to our liking of an eating nature . :-)

Now , the new player is certainly spiffy and different to be sure . How it will play out in terms of of it's appeal to the mass market remains to be seen . At present what is mostly seen are younger and perhaps upwardly mobile types along side those that are already there financially instead of still making the climb . Won't take you long to know where to go to find either or both , just follow the money .   :-)

No need to bore everyone with a list of the tenants in full but you can look for yourself via the link listed courtesy of the folks at CDODEV.com . Centrio Mall
The usual’s are there in some cases one sees in the other malls but it's the newbie's that catch  the eye . If you are hankering for something a bit different then this will most likely be the place to start .

Goats will be attracted to specific types of businesses  based on a variety of reasons of course .  Familiarity with some of the new tenant brand names shown below that  i grew up with state side has certainly got my attention . In other cases images represent places other expats have visited and shared experience about .

A clothing store geared towards the male species of goat this chain was  a popular choice state side for everyday casual wear . Growing up in the southeastern part of the US where summers are hot lots of locals tend to go with cotton blends which are lighter in weight , breath easier and are wash and wear in many cases . Curious to see how the Dockers here compares in terms of price and selection .

Though i really wasn't around in 1892 despite what some think this shoe brand offered quality a bit more in line with dress shoe choices or as we used to say " the Sunday go to meeting " shoe .

Haven't had a chance to sample this places pizza yet but have been told by more than one expat goat that this place has the best  in town .

Now , not sure how much the place above has to do with taters as in potatoes but it does appear to have a rather unique niche in the mall . Located on the 3rd floor near the cinemas and serving chips , fries , hotdogs , nachos and popcorn they will deliver to your seat in the cinema .

 Which of course means the glass is either half full or half empty . Personally have a hard time trying to comprehend someone hauling nacho dip into a cinema but maybe someone has had the experience and can share their take .

And , last but not least a well known establishment stateside for congregating around a cold picture of draft and partaking of the eating menu . In all honesty i will say that i would not expect this Philippine franchise to closely resemble the ones state side in terms of size , menu choice , etc. but the biggest surprise ,  to me at least , was the pricing structure .

To their credit they do offer draft beer which in CDO seems to be an unknown commodity as well as a few import varieties which appear to be in line with what other local establishments charge . Now , whether you would want to pay twice the normal rate for a San Miguel brewed locally is of course up to you but for me ambiance is not found in a mall setting , but that's just me .   :-) 

Keeping in mind that this " old goat " is entitled to an opinion like everyone else i would not choose to pay $10 - 12 for a burger and fries here versus $ 4 - 5 for the same " there " nor $ 30 here for a rib order that " there " would be i the $ 14 - 15 range . Besides , i have serious doubts that the ground beef or ribs are " imported " from half way around the world .   :-)

Not picking on TGIF specifically though it may appear that way and some have suggested that Centrio should have been names millionaire mall or something of that nature but it  is what it is and you will just have to get there and experience for yourself but by all means let me know how the nachos and the cinema thing goes .  :-)