A Mall That Was Meant to Replace a Whole Era
The polished floors still catch the light inside Coastal Grand Mall, even though two decades have passed since it opened its doors in 2004. Shoppers walk under soft lights and between palm-print columns that echo Myrtle Beach brochures with neon swimsuits and smiling kids.
Out near the old Sears, the floors shine like no one ever left, but the quiet tells its own story. Built off US Highway 17 and Harrelson Blvd., this mall was designed to draw people off the beach and into 1 million square feet of retail, food, and theater.
It worked. Myrtle Square Mall closed soon after. Coastal Grand Mall didn’t open to compete – it opened to dominate. That makes it more than a shopping center.
For some, it’s still on the list of things to do in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For others, it’s a reminder of what came before.
Foundations and Replacements – The Commercial Ground Game
Developers CBL & Associates Properties and Burroughs and Chapin didn’t guess when they picked the location. The site near Myrtle Beach International Airport gave them traffic, visibility, and room for over 6,000 parking spaces.
By the time Coastal Grand Mall opened in 2004, it had already erased its predecessor in the minds of many locals.
They had first floated the name “Mall of South Carolina” but dropped it before launch. The final design came from MSTSD, an Atlanta firm that gave the layout one main floor and taller footprints in three of its anchors.
Sears, Dillard’s, Belk, and JCPenney each came with large square footage and multi-level buildouts, giving the new mall a footprint both broad and tall.
From day one, Coastal Grand carried a clear purpose: to replace Myrtle Square Mall. Burroughs and Chapin owned both, but only one had a future.
When Coastal Grand opened, Myrtle Square closed without ceremony. The developers didn’t frame it as a loss or a rebirth.
They shifted the game and left the old anchor behind.
Launch Strategy and Tenant Power Plays
When Coastal Grand Mall opened in 2004, its layout wasn’t experimental. It was calculated.
Anchors had been secured early: Belk, Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Sears each brought square footage and market pull. The layout supported all four with room to breathe.
Smaller retailers fell into place later, more than 170 of them circling the central corridors and food court.
The mall used visuals to signal the place. Inside the food court, boardwalk planks ran beneath fast-food counters and neon signs.
Colors leaned tropical. Potted palms stood near glass entrances. The architecture spoke to tourism without overcommitting to a beach town stereotype.
The opening of the 14-screen Cinemark theater gave the mall something older competitors couldn’t fake. Myrtle Beach Mall didn’t have it.
Neither did what remained of Myrtle Square Mall. Entertainment offerings came ready-made, and they drew foot traffic year-round.
Restaurants and retail out-parcels weren’t left to chance. Units around the exterior filled with sit-down chains and fast-casual concepts by the end of the first fiscal year.
Unlike the old Myrtle Square, this place wasn’t built to close at 6 pm Coastal Grand stayed lit into the evening, and the parking lot stayed busy through dinner.
Retail Adjustments and Buildout Reconfigurations
JCPenney expanded its Myrtle Beach footprint in March 2008, opening a new 105,000-square-foot store inside Coastal Grand Mall.
That move made it one of the mall’s central players. Its original location at Myrtle Beach Mall remained open until April 2020, but foot traffic had already shifted long before the lease ended.
Other changes followed. In 2019, Dick’s Sporting Goods relocated within the mall, shifting closer to Dillard’s and adding a Golf Galaxy unit in the new wing.
The vacated Dick’s footprint was slated for reuse. Flip N Fly, a trampoline park based in Wilmington, had announced plans to take over the space in 2020, which would have marked its second location after Mayfaire Town Center.
That expansion likely never materialized, stalled by disruptions. The mall’s pivot toward leisure was mapped out, but the follow-through paused. Stars and Strikes opened at this location in early 2023.
The rest of the mall adapted gradually. Junior anchors like Old Navy and Books-A-Million held steady. Cinemark remained a draw near the food court.
Stores came and went, but square footage rarely sat idle. The design allowed for turnover without demolition.
Anchors expanded or exited, but the floor plan stayed intact. By the end of the decade, the mall had already shown how its spaces could absorb retail exits without going hollow.
Lease Disputes and Retail Tension
In July 2020, the cracks started showing. Coastal Grand Mall filed a lawsuit against Bed Bath and Beyond, alleging unpaid rent totaling about $72,000.
The complaint covered three months – April, May, and June – during which the store allegedly stayed open while withholding lease payments.
The store occupied more than 25,000 square feet at the time.
Just a few months later, in November 2020, Sears made a formal exit announcement. Its Myrtle Beach store would close by January 24, 2021, as part of a national reduction plan.
The Sears wing, once a traffic magnet for large-appliance buyers and shoe shoppers, went dark.
Fixtures remained for a while. The signage didn’t vanish immediately. But the doors locked on schedule, and a major anchor slot went vacant.
Retail contraction wasn’t new by then. Chains across the country had already thinned locations or consolidated footprints. Coastal Grand hadn’t escaped the trend, but it hadn’t collapsed under it either.
Anchor Shifts and Square Footage Reuse
By 2025, three of Coastal Grand‘s original anchors remain open: JCPenney, Dillard’s, and Belk. Each holds a two-story space and continues operations under its internal adjustments. The fourth anchor slot, left behind by Sears, hasn’t been filled.
Junior anchors like Old Navy and Books-A-Million operate on single floors, holding space without dominating the layout.
Dick’s Sporting Goods, once in the original run of tenants, shifted locations inside the mall in 2019 and brought Golf Galaxy along.
Stars and Strikes took over the old Dick’s footprint, opening in February 2023 as a full-scale entertainment center.
The outdoor parcels wrapped around the mall continue to operate under separate tenants.
These include a mix of fast-casual restaurants, big-box outlets, and stand-alone service chains. These units sit off the main structure but feed traffic into the complex.
2025 Operations and Retail Continuity
In 2025, Coastal Grand Mall stays busy without needing fanfare. Around 125 stores are open and active, covering everything from national fashion brands to long-running local names.
The mall doesn’t rely solely on its department stores anymore; larger retailers in the middle of the floor plan help carry the weight.
H&M, Express, and American Eagle Outfitters keep their wide footprints and steady customer pull.
Snipes, Versona, Charlotte Russe, and Victoria’s Secret hold their ground with seasonal resets and promotions that rotate faster than the storefront signage.
Each one holds a familiar spot, and most regular shoppers probably don’t need a map to find them.
Five Below draws steady traffic with shelves of novelty stock, candy, and budget electronics packed into a wide-open layout.
It’s one of the more visible discount retailers in the current mix, built for fast browsing and casual pickups. Andy Owings Music Center, positioned near Belk, remains a long-standing tenant offering instruments, sheet music, and lessons.
Coast RTA buses still pull into the loop on Route 10. The layout inside hasn’t changed. Booths come and go. So do pop-ups. Most units stay filled, though, and the floor never feels abandoned. There’s movement, but not the kind that breaks the map.
Outparcel Eats and Off-Corridor Dining
Coastal Grand Mall supports a cluster of full-service restaurants located just beyond the main structure. Red Lobster, Red Robin, and Cracker Barrel sit side by side, forming a visible dining row that serves steady lunch and dinner traffic.
Each operates with its own parking and schedule, independent from the mall’s interior hours.
Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant and Texas Roadhouse Grill offer additional sit-down options nearby, catering to groups and late-day diners.
The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar functions as a dessert-heavy draw and is known for its oversized milkshakes and social media buzz.
Chipotle Mexican Grill and Lil Tokyo add fast and mid-range dining formats to the mix.
These outparcel tenants extend the mall’s commercial footprint and remain active even during slower shopping periods. Their operations support visitor traffic patterns that don’t depend on interior retail circulation.
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