Handmade Maker Takes Holiday Lease in Dubuque Mall

Specialty makers testing a new market can use a short holiday lease at Kennedy Mall to limit long-term commitment.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Photograph of an empty mall corridor with a fitted storefront of bare glass and wooden display tables under soft skylight daylight. — Lima Handicraft is opening a 1,500-square-foot holiday storefront at Dubuque's Kennedy Mall on a lease running through early January, with an option to extend. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Lima Handicraft, a maker of handmade clothing and blankets, is opening a 1,500-square-foot storefront in Dubuque's Kennedy Mall next to American Eagle in the first week of November. The lease runs through the first week of January, with an option to extend, which gives local shoppers and holiday-season retail operators a near-term view of how mall space is being used.

Why it matters

Mall owner Cafaro Co. says it is always looking for new and interesting kinds of businesses, especially those with something unique to offer, and a short holiday lease is a low-commitment way for a specialty maker to test the market. For operators, the arrangement shows how seasonal and short-term tenancy can fill space that would otherwise sit vacant between leases.

The storefront covers 1,500 square feet in Kennedy Mall, positioned beside American Eagle. The lease window runs from the first week of November through the first week of January, with the tenant holding an option to extend.

The players

Lima Handicraft

A maker of handmade clothing and blankets opening its first Dubuque retail location for the holiday season.

Cafaro Co.

The owner and manager of Kennedy Mall, a commercial real estate company that leases space to retail tenants.

The details

Lima Handicraft will take over the 1,500-square-foot space for the holiday season rather than signing a long-term lease, a structure that lets a handmade apparel and blanket maker test customer demand in a high-traffic mall without a multi-year commitment. Cafaro Co., which owns and manages Kennedy Mall, is leasing the space on these terms. The option to extend means the arrangement could convert into a longer tenancy if holiday sales justify it.

First week of November 2026: Lima Handicraft opens its storefront in Kennedy Mall.
First week of January 2027: The initial lease expires unless the owners exercise their option to extend.

Market Landscape

Mall landlords commonly use short-term holiday leases to fill vacant storefronts during peak shopping months while keeping permanent tenants on longer terms. The Kennedy Mall arrangement, with a fixed early-January end date and an extension option, fits that seasonal leasing pattern.

Operators considering seasonal retail space should compare short holiday leases with the cost of a full-year commitment and ask whether the landlord offers a clear extension option. Specialty makers testing a new market may find that a fixed holiday window limits risk while still giving them direct customer contact.

The takeaway

Short holiday leases let a business test a mall location with limited exposure, and the early-January expiration date is the key deadline to calendar. Operators weighing a similar arrangement should review the extension terms with qualified counsel before signing.