DMK Burger Bar, Stan's Donuts among 11 restaurants opening at Oakbrook Center

This is no food court.

It's a place to linger over grilled chicken with African spices or to sip on a glass of aged whiskey. It's also a place that's helping Oakbrook Center stay competitive, retail experts say.

Nearly a dozen food vendors and restaurants — three of which are walk-ins — are slated to open in a 14,000-square-foot space the outdoor mall calls the “District at Oakbrook.”

“It's a very upscale, modernized new version of what a traditional food court might be,” said Suzanne Beres, Oakbrook Center's property management associate. “We're taking it to a completely different level.”

As part of a $50 million project, the shopping center moved some retailers to make way for a renovated and expanded section on its northeast side. In addition to the dining area, the mall built a parking deck and 12-screen AMC theater that opened two weeks ago.

“The times are such that certain segments of the population are more interested in experiences than purchasing, and that's a way to keep the malls more competitive,” said Phyllis Ezop, president of Ezop and Associates, a LaGrange Park-based consulting firm.

Oakbrook Center has announced 10 of the 11 restaurants in the District on the upper level between Nordstrom and Sears. Here's a look:

• DMK Burger Bar: Freshly-baked buns, grass-feed beef, and all the fixings add up to tasty burgers at this spot opening mid-April 2017.

• Nando's PERi-PERi: Nando's roots go back to 1980s South Africa. The chain's signature menu item is chicken, marinated, grilled and flavored with PERi-PERi, also known as African bird's eye chili.

Nando's opened its first suburban restaurant in Naperville earlier this year and plans to expand to the Oak Brook mall mid-November.

• DAVIDsTEA: It's easy to be indecisive in this store opening early December. Tea drinkers have their pick of more than 150 flavors.

• Potbelly Sandwich Shop: The made-to-order, toasty sandwich shop is opening as early as next week.

• Greek Kitchen: A no-fuss menu starts with choosing the format — pitas, fresh salads or plates. Then add the fillings (rotisserie lamb and beef, for instance), sauce (tahini) and toppings (kalamata olives, spicy feta).

Greek Kitchen will open its fifth restaurant — and first in the suburbs — in the mall mid-December. It's four locations are in Chicago and inside Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

• Stan's Donuts: Though Stan's serves Intelligentsia coffee, there's no need for dunking. These doughnuts stand on their own. And if you like chocolate hazelnut spread, three words: Nutella Banana Pocket. A mainstay in Los Angeles, Stan's has shops in Chicago and should open the latest one in Oakbrook Center in mid-December.

• Porkchop: Another Chicago restaurant coming to the mall's new dining district in late December, it's known for succulent rib tips and brisket and whiskey drinks.

• Pie Five Pizza Co.: The pizzeria chain expected to open in mid-January offers online orders if you're busy shopping and want to skip lines.

• Cilantro Taco Grill: The 3-year-old chain expands to Oak Brook by mid-April 2017 or sooner and caters to breakfast (yes, you can have burritos for breakfast), lunch and dinner crowds.

• Freshii: The Toronto-based franchise made headlines last year for a letter from CEO Matthew Corrin calling for McDonald's to provide healthier alternatives and to test a Freshii inside one of the fast-food giant's restaurants.

“One outlet can feed the whole family again,” Corrin wrote McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook. “Fans of the Big Mac can still indulge while gaining knowledge about fresher, healthier options that taste great and cost no more.” Freshii's options include quinoa bowls, a “Superfood” soup and burritos packed with brown rice. The fast-casual restaurant should open in Oak Brook in mid-April.