Family Time Dine and Play Opens 'Fluff ME' Bear-Building Store

The Auburn Mall is a ghost of what it used to be back in the '80s, when it was the place for high school kids to hang out. Back then, there was a two-screen movie theater, J.C. Penney, Porteous, The Gap, Chess King, Radio Shack, Kaybee Toy Store, and Dream Machine arcade.

Today, all but JCPenney are gone. There's now an arcade that is the local version of Chuck E. Cheese, which couldn't stay in business when it came to the Maine Mall.

Jeffrey Mitchell worked at that Chuck E. Cheese as the general manager, and knew he could do better. That's when Family Time Dine and Play was born. It has been around for 11 years, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Now, Mitchell has opened a new store at the mall, which is the perfect companion to Family Time Dine and Play. On August 1, Fluff ME opened. It is similar to Build-A-Bear, but is easier on your pocketbook.

You can make your very own custom bear (or several other animals) to take home, but the fun part is deciding what you want for an animal and how you want to dress it. Stuffing your bear is just $18, and you can also purchase an outfit for it and get a free bag of candy.

The new Fluff ME store got rave reviews from Nerdcore, which can also be found in the Auburn Mall.

If you've got kids, a day building buddies at Fluff ME, playing games, and having pizza at Family Time Dine and Play will be a blast. You may even have as much fun as your kids.

Fluff ME is open Thursday and Friday from 12-7, Saturday, from 11-7, and Sunday from 12-5.