On a recent trip with friends to see a movie at the Cinemark Century at The River in Rancho Mirage, I passed by multiple shuttered stores. (Surprisingly, not one of them was hosting a Spirit Halloween; ’tis the season.) Spaces that once included Five Guys, Chakaa Tea Shoppe, and Bath & Body Works now are occupied by … works of art?
Yeah. It seems like The River has largely become an outdoor art gallery.
The River, at 71800 Highway 111, opened in 2001—meaning it is 25 years old this year—and at first must have seemed like paradise in the desert, with numerous shops and a flowing water feature. Around 2011, things started getting shaky, with the closing of Borders bookstore. In 2014, the shopping center was sold to a company now known as Cheer Land The River, which has been trying to get more tenants and revive it ever since; at one point, the company proposed adding a hotel to the site.
Longtime restaurant anchor Acqua California Bistro closed in 2014, returned in 2017 and closed again in 2022. People were ecstatic when Dave & Buster’s took over the location in 2023—but a year later, the adjacent Babe’s Bar-B-Que & Brewery, which had called The River home for 22 years, closed to move to Indio; the space remains empty. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, a fixture at The River for two decades, closed in 2020, and that building also remains empty.
Still, big-name restaurant chains like P.F. Chang’s, Yard House, Ben & Jerry’s, and The Cheesecake Factory remain at The River—giving many locals a reason to come to the shopping center.
“That’s kind of like the main spot right here,” said patron Favian A., in reference to The Cheesecake Factory. He told me that he and his wife often catch a movie and have dinner there or at Dave & Buster’s.
The Cinemark Century remains the core anchor of the shopping center. It gives people a reason to go The River, see the latest blockbuster movie in a nice cool theater, and grab lunch, dinner or drinks before or after.
“The big anchor stores are just fine. It’s just, like, the smaller businesses are kind of struggling,” said Andy L., another patron.
Jess C. told me, “I wouldn’t adventure out here on my own.” In other words, she’ll only come to The River to get food with friends or see a movie with them.
I counted only four retail businesses. The others are restaurants, or businesses that offer services and experiences. I counted 19 vacancies to be filled on the first floor.
Did you know there’s a second floor? There, you’ll find Escape Games at the River, which has been there for a decade. If you go, you and your team will have to escape well-designed set pieces with scenarios set in a medieval dungeon, an ancient Egyptian tomb, or—most frightening—the ’80s. The business has been successful enough to open a second location in La Quinta.
“The foot traffic is good at The River,” said Charlie Sundahl, owner of Escape Games. “The shops have dwindled in the last five years. There have been some businesses that come and have not stayed for very long. The movie theater and the big staple restaurants have been good for us. I would like the shops to fill back up, but it has not had an effect on our business.”
On the positive side, The River maintains an active social media presence, with relatively active Facebook and Instagram pages. The shopping center regularly hosts events, like frequent concert series, an annual Christmas-tree lighting and a Chanukah celebration.
On the negative side, the center’s leasing page is out of date as of the writing—for example, Bath & Body Works is still touted as an anchor store. (Messages left with management to discuss the vacancies were not returned.)
As for that art in the empty shops: It’s part of a program called the Window Walk Gallery, “a semi-permanent pop-up installation.” As of this writing, the gallery is showcasing work from artists with mental-health diagnoses or artists who support mental-health awareness.
After the movie, my friends and I went to Yard House. It was busy; we chatted about the movie and ended a great night there. Despite all the empty spaces, The River was still a great place to visit.
You can follow Jonathan Bilski at ttdila.com (Things To Do In LA).
