By JEFFREY HASTINGS

NASHUA – The Pheasant Lane Mall and Merrimack Premium Outlet mall, both owned by Simon Properties, opened on Monday at 11 a.m. as part of the re-opening plan for the state of New Hampshire.

The malls have been closed for over a month due to the stay-at-home order which forced non-essential businesses to close. Only a handful of people were at the door for the 11 a.m. opening. 

It didn’t appear to be a large influx of customers from Massachusetts.

At Nashua Country Club the parking lot was full of cars, and golfers at every visible hole. Golfers were spread apart on the course, some walking and some on motorized carts.

At the main entrance of the Pheasant Lane Mall the parking lot there were 23 cars with New Hampshire license plates and 14 with Massachusetts plates. The mall is on the Massachusetts border and generally has a large Massachusetts customer base.

Inside the mall there were many stores still closed for business. Some listed dates they would re-open and others directed people to their websites for future details on opening.

The people entering were split 50/50 on wearing masks. The United Way was on hand at the mall handing out masks for those who wanted them.

At the Merrimack Premium Outlet mall customers arrived in small numbers, and the parking lot was mostly empty. Benches throughout the mall were taped off with yellow tape to prevent more than one person from using the bench at a time.