Want a tattoo? Try your local mall

Next time you go to the mall, be prepared: Chances are it isn't your grandparents' shopping center anymore.

Some unusual tenants are opening their doors. Tattoo shops, eyebrow threaders and gold resellers are among the new offerings in Bay area shopping centers.

Largo-based Atomic Tattoos has opened 14 locations in the past eight years, mostly in strip centers. The company always wanted to expand into shopping centers, but until now, the answer was no, said owner Clay Montgomery.

"The malls were never too keen on having tattoo shops," Montgomery said.

A dismal economy and changing attitudes about tattoo parlors are changing all that.

This month, Atomic Tattoos is opening its first location at the Westfield Brandon Mall. Montgomery said cable television shows like Miami Ink have helped make tattoos more acceptable.

"I believe the mall is aware customers do get tattoos and aware tattoos have sort of lost their stigma," Montgomery said.

Industry observer Richard Suttmeier said reduced occupancy rates mean more shopping centers are getting creative with their tenant mix.

"These (shops) are going into malls where normally they wouldn't be allowed," said Richard Suttmeier, financial analyst for ValuEngine based in Land O'Lakes. "But the mall needs to make its monthly payment."

Recent reports indicate commercial real estate is experiencing more defaults than in at least 16 years.

The average price per square foot has dropped from $19 to $18, according to Fitch Ratings. The agency reports delinquencies of commercial-based mortgage securities through the end of October were just under 4 percent and expected to reach 6 percent by early 2010.

Laurie Goldman, senior general manager of Westfield Brandon, said adding new tenants isn't just about filling vacancies.

"Our customer is changing and evolving and getting younger so we want to meet their needs and be a one-stop shop for them," Goldman said.

Westfield is opening its arms to tattoo shops at other regional malls. FATInk, a custom shop, opened in May at the Citrus Park Town Center. Manager Everett Joens said business has been better than expected.

"We get a lot of people here that wouldn't necessarily go to a normal tattoo shop," Joens said. "Some of the older generation that used to be opposed to tattooing are coming in and checking us out."

They are not just window shopping. Joens said more older people are getting inked.

And with a successful transition to enclosed shopping centers so far, tattoo shop managers say they expect to become as common in malls as nail and hair salons.

"I do see a lot of people jumping on that band wagon and opening in malls across the country," Joens said.

"We would like to explore the possibility of expanding in mall type shopping centers throughout the entire state of Florida and beyond, if possible," added Montgomery.