It was first extensively remodeled in 1994. Facing competition from St. Louis Galleria, which opened in 1984 and was expanded in 1992, Plaza Frontenac's new owners hired Michael Mindlin and David Suttle, of Hellmuth, Obata, & Kassabaum, who developed a merchandising strategy for the re-positioning and renovation of Plaza Frontenac that resulted in a new mix of day spa, art theater, white-tablecloth restaurants (facing outward to create a whole new arrival experience) and home goods that retained the mature, affluent shopper, but also attracted a younger, more diverse customer. The re-positioning was based on a new sense of hospitality that started a small revolution in shopping center design by creating a resort approach to modern retailing environments. Mindlin and Suttle continued to work with the ownership refining this concept over the next decade as Suttle Mindlin, an internationally recognized strategic planning and design firm. According to the Urban Land Institute “the renovation puts Plaza Frontenac on the cutting edge of mall design.” Based upon this merchandising and lifestyle strategy, the facility gave back a $150-square-foot increase of in-line sales at the end of the first year of operations after the renovation. The design created a sense of relaxed hospitality, including landscaping (inside and out), new hardwood floors and paint, as well as furniture and fixtures, and LED lighting. Frontenac now boasts "hand-made custom carpets. imported European furniture in soft seating areas," a grand piano with live music and renewed services and amenities including opulent women's restrooms and lounge with individual wood-lined restrooms. The anchor tenant to the re-branding was Cardwell's, a local restaurant that was selected by Mindlin and Suttle to be the anchor tenant and secured by the Ownership. Mindlin and Suttle designed Cardwell's at the Plaza as an entirely new lifestyle offering where patrons could show up in sweats or a suit. Plaza Frontenac became the "town center" of this affluent community and set a new standard for retailing.'"