The Christiana Mall is beefing up its food court dining options.

A Five Guys will take the place of McDonald's in the food court, which was vacated at the end of 2019. The Five Guys is projected to open April 15, according to Rachel Wille, a spokeswoman for the company who owns and manages the mall Brookfield Properties.

The mall location will be Five Guys' seventh Delaware restaurant. The existing locations closest to the Christiana Mall are in the Prices Corner and Fairfax shopping centers.

Since the mall's overhaul in 2009, which included a new food court and multiple standalone restaurants, an emphasis has been placed on bringing patrons more food options. The restaurants, whether they are of the full table service or fast-casual ilk, serve as an extra draw and help extend customers' stays at the mall.

"We strive to curate an outstanding environment for our guests by providing a variety of amenities under one roof, this goes far beyond apparel," Wille wrote in an email. "Our goal is to continue to bring in fresh, new tenants, such as Five Guys, to our community."

In 2018, class-A malls (those that bring in the most sales per square foot) dedicated roughly a quarter of their space to restaurants, according to real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. The average mall had about 10% of its square footage allocated to food 12 years earlier.

The food court's current offerings include Chick Fil-A and Chipotle, in addition to longstanding mall staples like Saladworks and Sbarro.

Five Guys won't be the only new spot at the mall, which recently added three new stores: Helzberg Diamonds, Hickory Farms and IT'SUGAR.

Hickory Farms sells gourmet food gifts including meats and cheeses. IT'SUGAR is a novelty candy shop. Trendy Man, a formal menswear store, is also coming soon.

Contact Brandon Holveck at bholveck@delawareonline.com or at (302) 324-2267. Follow on Twitter @holveck_brandon.