Death Of The Mall Food Court
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- čas přidán 10. 04. 2024
- Ahh... malls... Depicted in 80s films, they were a huge pasttime for MANY people, young and old, since the 1960s.... One major draw was the incredible addition of food courts - Who even Dreamed up this concept? Maybe you have many memories of a bygone era spending weekends hanging with friends at the mall, or, maybe your only impression is watching explorers on youtube traverse mall carcasses.Whatever your experience, join us today as we examine how these all came to be, and what exactly happened to them!
#foodcourt #mall #wierdhistoryfood - Zábava
Just remember, the cookie stand is not part of the food court. It's an autonomous unit for mid-mall snacking.
I mean, if you want to wax intellectual on the subject...😂 Just look out for LaFours!
All I said was that the Easter bunny at the Menlo Park mall was more convincing and he just jumped the railing and knocked me down.
The hot soft pretzel was the best part of going to the mall😁
Not just autonomous, sentient...
Ours is on an entirely different floor with its own set of tables, so Brody was correct.
"Food Court" should be a show where restaurants get to confront their reviewers
That's one of the best ideas I've heard in a while
I’d watch that lol
Amy's Baking Company should be first episode
You just gave away a million dollar idea.
YAS!
The Mall Food Court, to me, used to be like finding an inn or a tavern in the middle of the night, during times when horse and buggies were still the fastest way to travel. It’s been raining all night, the coachman is soaked to the bone, the passengers are bored, all weary and tired. Much like how my family and I might feel after spending so much time walking around the mall, my parents feeling much like that coachman after dealing with my sister and I all day. But there! In the distance! What could it be?! Yes, it’s shelter! I mean, it’s the food court! That’ll pick our spirits back up! It shall revitalize us! Ohh, happy days are here!
The one at my childhood mall was right by the arcade. Perfect placement.
I’m old enough to remember when our mall had only a Chick-fil-A and. Sbarro Pizza. It was simple but worked. I always wanted a slice of sausage pizza, my sister always wanted chicken nuggets. It was simple. Then we got an actual food court with over a dozen restaurants added and we could never decide what we wanted 😂
@@lawrencetalbot8346 Reminds me of the Oglethorpe Mall in Savannah, Ga back in the day before the food court was added in 2002.
@@TheNewgreatlife this is the mall I’m talking about!!!
I live in Tennessee, and the best teriyaki in town exists at a mall food court. They’ve been open since the early 2000’s and are basically always packed, and it’s been the same Japanese family the whole time. I’m fact, I’d almost be inclined to say that every other place that tries to open in the food court bombs terribly and goes out of business in a month, because every single person that goes through that damn food court gets teriyaki 😂
smart people coming to a clearly under served community in terms of variety of food
Same with the food court in my mall. Everyone goes to one shawarma place that is the best I've ever had, it's like they sprinkle crack into their wraps. You can go any day at almost any time of day and it will be busy, but all the other spots are constantly going out business.
You sure they are not Taiwanese? 😅
That sounds like Sarku Japan in most malls that I've been to. They and Chick-Fil-A usually are the busiest places in the entire food court.
Them and Charley’s Cheesesteaks
I worked in a mall food court for a few years. Great work experience for sure. This was back in the Nineties when the mall was still a hive of activity.
Malls and food courts are still a thing in many European countries because often malls are located in more central areas in the cities reachable also by public transport. So swarms of teenagers can enjoy some trash food without having to be chauffeured there
Exactly this! I believe that this topic, especially regarding urbanism, urban design, transit, and malls, is something that is very little talked about in discourse regarding the slow death and decay of malls particularly in USA and Canada. People will often try to attribute it solely to social media or the internet, when it’s typically and mostly just a side effect of the decline of malls and other third spaces caused by the lack of walkable urbanism and easy safe methods of transportation. Heck, look at Westfield Stratfield City in London, the Eaton Centre in Toronto, or ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon in Bangkok for example, very much busy and lively! And that’s because they’re all built very close to, and are well-connected to transit and tight-knit housing developments.
Which explains why mall-based restaurants are still thriving at Valley Fair and Santana Row across the street from Valley Fair. Valley Fair in Santa Clara, CA are located next to a major freeway and is on Stevens Creek Boulevard in that part of Santa Clara, which is accessible by plentiful bus service to the place.
Same here in USA. Every mall.
Philippines still have those especially SM FoodCourts
Wow, a mall that can be reached by means other than a car and then a mile-long trek through a parking lot? What a concept!!
Most of the casinos here in Vegas are taking out their buffets and putting in food halls. Most of them have local establishments right next to the national chains.
I noticed that. I went to Vegas for the first time in 10 years or more, and the 3 casinos I went to on the strip, including the one I stayed in, had food courts, but no buffet.
@TheCrazierz my husband and I were in Vegas in July and ate at a buffet
You go to Vegas for the buffet
back in the 80s, I used to go to the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, CA.. if the food court was a new Chinese Restaurant, called Panda Express. It was their first and only location. I always got Orange Chicken and Beef/Broccoli. It was my favorite lunch spot at the mall. Little did I know what they would turn into today....
You know what I miss about the mall? Getting the thing I wanted THAT DAY, in my hands, walking out the door with it. Instead of getting stolen off my porch.
Well then, start going to the mall.
You don't like stuff stolen off your porch
I'm glad the mall near me is still quite busy pretty much all the time and I've never seen the food court not completely packed, even in the middle of the week. Also please credit Sal for the footage at 8:33.
watching this video is like watching a glimpse of a time long gone. I'm glad I grew up in the 90s and got experience this culture.
in the late 80's I worked in a record store in a little, run-down mall (since torn down & replaced by a shopping strip). It wasn't big enough to have a food court, just four or five not very good food places scattered throughout it. But hearing the name Orange Julius always makes me think of it. Nobody who actually worked at that mall would eat at the OJ there because it was so filthy. There were even rumors that they re-used cups to save money. This one time the entire daytime staff was fired as a group because they had a big food-fight, driving the few customers they had out of the place. Finally the franchise dropped the location (or maybe they couldn't pay the fees, I don't know) and they struggled on for a few more months as "Orange Drinks and Burgers" using handwritten cardboard signs before going out of business.
It really depends on the mall. I just got back from Tysons Corner and that food court is always jumping.
Uhh, Quincy Market's "food hall" has been there for decades, literally. Been going to Boston on trips since 1998 and it was there. I lived in the area in 2013-2015 and it was there. Don't know where you got this thing about 2017.
Yeah went there back in the 80's for lunch not sure where that 2017 date came from
I was there in like 1988 and too young to remember where we were but always remembered it, then saw it in person again years later and was like "wow, so that wasn't a dream" its one of the places that didnt die like Cordage Park and Independence mall courts eventually did
Also before they showed Quincy they showed Grand Central Market, which has been around for almost 100 years. It started as a market but as been a Food Hall for a while now. Weird.
My local dying mall just put a bar in the middle of the food court that absolutely no one goes to. The only reason I go to the mall is for a particular shoe place and every time I walk through there I don’t see a single soul at the food court. Just elderly people walking around it in the winter to get their steps in.
@8:53 just to clarify, The city is called Tampa. Tampa Bay is a body of water.
Right and its inhabitants are called rednecks, Yee haw!
Jk, I know they prefer the term ‘trash’
I was just talking to my coworker about this topic and how it is strange that Public Houses/Eatery's are incredibly popular. They are basically the same as mall food courts minus the shopping but are booming compared to the former.
Please give Sal proper credit for his footage at 8:33. You seem to have incorrectly credited it to Business Insider.
Also, unrelated, but you spelled "weird" wrong in the video tags.
I just commented this same thing, he’s the man behind the cam!
Yep! Totally!
The only malls I've been to recently that don't feel completely dead are the ones that have transitioned towards a "food hall" allowing local restaurants to move in. As corporations move on from malls they will have to either adapt and allow local and small business or go out of business. Another thing that does wonders for business is selling off parts of the usually oversized parking lots to other businesses. People will come visit the new restaurant, convince store, or whatever and then might consider stopping in the mall too since it's right there and convenient.
I've been noticing some chains are moving away from malls. Lately, Chick-Fil-A has been closing in several malls in favor of freestanding units which supposedly make much more money. Williams-Sonoma, Bath & Body Works, Foot Locker, Rue 21, and Jimmy Jazz (Snipes), have been opening several off-mall locations over the past few years also. Oddly enough, Popeyes seems to be pushing to enter more mall food courts.
I live in Toronto and have been to Sherway mall so many times, had no idea it was technically the first mall to have a food court. A nice fun fact I can share now well done
quincy markets food hall in boston has been there since like the 90s. I live near boston and do remember going there for food then. It always had all the restaurants and what not. Well at least before 2017
It was a food hall back in the 80's
I keep seeing all these dead malls / dead food court videos on CZcams. Its not happening everywhere you know. Almost all the malls and food courts in the greater Houston area are still bustling and doing just fine.
Actually, Costco's food court area came about because the small area, the size of one of their clothing islands, that they had set aside for the hot dog cart when trying it out in the South Seattle location kept overflowing. The sample stalls on weekends were there when they started opening up to the wider consumer market in the early 90s/late 80s. They still serve hotdogs and drinks for roughly the same price that the cart used.
Yes! There was one in Redwood City, CA that was basically a pop up booth right outside the exit that did hotdogs and polish thats it. No pizza, no ice cream or salads, just two items. Good memories.
Fun fact: Businessman James Rouse was the grandfather of actor Edward Norton.
Very interesting!
Thw food court indowntown Toronto is always packed. University students, shoppers, people going home from work. Ive had people actually sit beside me cause theres literally no place to sit. Usually we all like our space but when your tired and hungry that all goes out the window
Sharing a table with a stranger at a food court is the norm in downtown Toronto. When I moved out to the burbs I soon learned not to do this.
Eaton Centre?
Around here, the first malls had different anchor stores, different restaurants, and all the stores were unique. You could go to different malls and enjoy the new selection. Pretty soon all the shoes stores, clothing stores etc were all the same company. All the food stores were all big chain shops. You have no competition for products (every shoe store carried the same shoes etc), and the food was all the same dozen places. It was easy to lose interest.
When I think mall food court I think Sbarro. You could get a couple meatballs with marinara sauce and a chunk of garlic bread for like $2 back in the day. Loved that place.
Would love to see you give some credit to @Sal for the footage shown at 8:34 he makes great content that should be recognized!
Give Sal the credit he has earned.
Me who just got Panda from my mall's food court yesterday:👁️👄👁️
Panda Express brings up an observation as to the death of shopping malls. Many stores that used to be mall staples (besides the anchor department stores), have grown, and thus have freestanding locations. Panda Express is a good example, right down the street from me there is a freestanding Panda Express restaurant in the back of the Walmart parking lot.
@@mrath while there's certainly truth to that, some of my first introductions to Chinese food (hell, fast food altogether) were in malls. I don't think food courts themselves are disappearing just yet, but the non-chains, unless they're wildly popular in their respective areas, might not last too much longer in the long run
Malls here are changing from store/food places into a more experience/food style to keep things going. Many anchor store are changing more into gyms and other places that you can't really experience shopping online.
Of course you can't fill the entire mall this way, but that is what many are doing to keep foot traffic going. It has help one mall near here which was pretty much dead gain a bit of life back.
Food Courts are still doing well
My local mall food court has 12 -14 different restaurants and is thriving.
Places like Orange Julius and Auntie Annie’s are also in the mall but not part of the food court.
Downtown, there are two large food halls.
Yup when I was young the best Chinese food I had outside of China was at the mall. This little old lady was the cook and I’ve never had an egg roll like her sense and should have asked her what was in it in 2006 before I moved back south
A weird one. The local malls near me still have Food Courts.
*Update:* I see, you guys mean the POPULARITY of Food Court.
They really had a certain era.
Quincy Market in Faneuil hall has been a food hall since the 80’s at least.
In 1992 the Moreno Valley Mall at Towngate opened in the city of Moreno Valley, CA (USA). In addition to the mentioned downfalls that plagued other malls throughout the country, the Moreno Valley Mall was also hit hard when the nearby U.S. Air Force Base was reallocated, in the second half of the 1990s, from an active base to an Air Reserves training base which greatly reduced the number of military personal and their families who contributed to the economy of not only the Moreno Valley Mall, but to the wider community in general. Despite all of these constant setbacks, the Moreno Valley Mall at Towngate continues to rebound and is actually still a popular hang-out for teens (my freshman-high school niece a testament to this fact.) The continued resurgence of the mall is likely supported by the large multiplex theater that was added sometime around 2010, as well as the bowling and video games entertainment center, "Round 1" that was added not long after the theater was built.
My local mall is still doing well, but I've noticed that all the food court options have become more independent and upscale (with Auntie Anne's being the only notable survivor from the old days). I don't miss the taste of Sbarro's pizza, but sometimes I miss being able to buy two slices and a drink with a five dollar bill while still getting change back which is something I don't see the fancy pizza joint they have now ever offering.
The Top 3 memories that I have that involves the Mall Food Courts are, the first is that I could Remember when I was a Teen In the 90's and me and my friends use to spent some of the day at the Arcades, and come lunch time we where left with little choice but to eat at the Food Court. And whenever we did I always felt like it was a Nice Repave from all of the Laud Arcade Machines. As I found it more often than not for some reason I was really uncomfortable in there for some reason. Then my next Memory of Mall Food Courts would be when i was a Kid one of my Aunts worked at one of the establishments there and because of it we usually go to that Mall and order food from the establishment that she works at on Saturdays. Then the last memory that I'm going to share is when I tried out Orange Julius for the first time in a Mall Food Court that I haven't been to in like forever as it is over 3 Hours away, and as a Kid that first taste of Orange Julius Blew me away, so much so I felt like I needed at least ten More Cups. And Another fun fact when I was first searching for a Job some of the first placed that I tried my luck on was a Food Court at a local Mall.
A local mall that we go to once or twice a year has a famous footlocker. We were there about a month ago to get some trail running shoes. All of the stores were crap that you can order online. Like one is gnc which I have never been in. Some other random shoe store which we went in once before and they did not have a large enough selection of what we were looking for. Several other stores that I just do not recall and the weirdest thing of all was a cornor unit that was a garage sale. I kid you not it was all second hand stuff. We were on a time crunch for the day and just did not have time to stop in. Then many many empty stores.
I live in New Bedford Massachusetts. The Dartmouth mall is a bus ride away. They have an auntie Anne's. I don't really get any food from the food court though. I grew up in a small town called Somerset. In Swansea, the next town over. They had a mall. It closed some years ago. Still not sure what they're doing with the space. It pretty much died, once Walmart moved across the parking lot. Instead of staying attached to the mall.
Glad I learned the difference between food courts and food halls. Food halls have been booming, whether in the DC suburbs I previously lived to even smaller cities like OKC that I recently visited.
This makes me sad. I do not like online shopping. I like the experience of walking through the mall.
West Edmonton Mall has a waiter service style section of food court as well as two traditional food courts. It’s owned by the same group who owns Mall of America.
I moved from the US to Poland amd its crazy the difference in mall culture here. Malls here are busy, and people are everywhere. It's great, like being back in my hometown mall as a teen
Probalby because Poland doesn't got much going on. US is the eonomy of the world...can't be hanging at the mall all the time. Same with movies...movie theaters in other countries are better because that's what they can do, while Americans make movies.
Las Vegas casinos closed their buffets during Covid. They came back as Food Courts except for a dozen or so still operating.
This feels more like a video about the general decline in shopping malls than the death of food courts. My local mall, and the food court, are doing just fine.
At 8:35 that footage belongs to Sal, that’s his footage and he should be credited!
Give @sal credit for his footage.
As someone who lived in Hudson, WI, a suburb of the Twin Cities, throughout the 90s and early 00s, I quickly became spoiled by my proximity to the MOA. It took decades before I could appreciate how unique it is, and why it’s still such a tourist destination. It’s still amazing and fun to go there, even at 36!
I loved the mall food court. LA still has many food courts in the malls, so they haven't died out, but there are less stalls than there used to be with the vendors changing out all the time.
I'm so happy to see Pastamania chronicled here
My local mall (Metro North Mall) didn't have a food court.
It did had places to eat throughout the mall.
When the mall was about 30 percent full, they blocked off section of the mall to put in a food court.
Was like that for years and no progress was made.
Eventually, main section closed down and gotten torn down.
Food courts are much better because you can mix and match food from different restaurants. The alternative you mention usually don't have a shared seating area, meaning all parties of a group need to buy from the same restaurant and you can't get a hamburger from one and a drink from another, for example. That said, I don't know the entire Europe and the issue I mention is more clear in The Netherlands, from my personal Experience. Portugal and Spain seem to have a different concept. The Dutch also want people at their malls for the least amount of time possible, there's nothing appealing on them, some have tight hallways and store owners expect customers to go in, spend money, leave quickly.
omg as soon as you mentioned food hall, I thought about Quincy Market, just like reading my mind
And yet they were way off on the 2017 date for Quincy market
I still like mall Food Court it's great. 😀👍
I remember the hot dog on the stick food court! I also remember my local mall having an Arby’s, they had good potato cakes and the cherry turnovers
There's an Orange Julius at the Mall in Chandler, AZ.. I saw it last week lol
Most of the stores you mentioned having left malls I had never heard of before!
Food courts live on in airports all over.
We didn't have a food court in our mall in the 70's. We had cafes in Woolworth, Sears & JC Penny and a stand alone burg/hot dog joint. Later, McD arrived and it wasn't until late 80's we got a food court.
Food trucks have definitely experienced a rapid growth in quantity and quality. I remember when the food truck was known as a "roach coach" and the food was cheep. In South Korea, they have "gut trucks," which are basically a minimart on wheels. Wonder if that could take off in the States.
They have a few gut trucks or roach coaches depending on your generation that's what it's called, on military posts. And it is a mini-mart on wheels. I cannot tell you how many times one would wheel up at a training area and get some food that taste better than MREs.
I don't think they stopped using food courts.
there are those of us where the terms "food court" and sBarro's" has a special meaning
Please credit @Sal for the footage at 8:33 You know its his you deleted his comments calling you out twice.
So many good memories of hanging out with my friends in the food court :)
Go to an Asian mall. The food courts are amazing dozens and dozens of mom and pop food stalls with 1 or 2 dishes.
I been to a food court in my hometown and it wasso good and I miss going to the mall and food court
Oooh some of those pics are from Singapore, NEAT!
We have mall food courts here and they are crazy busy.
The Mall of America is in Bloomington, Minnesota not Minneapolis.
In the late 70's thru the mid 80's every time I went to the mall with my mother I scored an Orange Julius! Good times!
Malls are still quite popular in Canada as well. We don't have the weather for year-round food trucks. We also have a huge rural population where it takes a lot of time and distance to get to a close city so anybody rural or without a means of transportation usually go to the mall to do the shopping.
Hi! Just wanted to mention that at 8:34 the footage was incorrectly credited. The original footage is from @Sal. Would just like to see some credit to him, whether that’s reuploading the video or just updating the description.
Quincy market in boston has been around since longer before 2017. We went there in the 80's all the time for lunch after shopping at filenes basement at downtown crossing or a swan boat ride in the public gardens and it had been around long before that with all thise food vendors
I think food courts have not "fallen"-- it just depends on the mall and the location. In the city where I live, one mall has a very busy food court, packed with diners almost everyday of the week, while another in a different mall looks rather empty.
Going with the 'Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex' clip? Classic
Food Hall looks wonderful ❤
every mall here in Oregon has a food court. in my local one 80% of the restaurants have been there and thriving for 20 years since the remodel and removal of the ice skating rink. theater is right there too. most the malls still get tons of traffic and are packed on the weekends. they're not going anywhere
I spotted the word Lechon :) 0:06
Because that shot is from SM Megamall's food court.
@@kitcarandang oooooh :O
Classic Food Halls in the U.S., like Eastern Market in Washington D.C. or Detroit or Quincy Market in Boston, are MUCH older than Food Courts, and there used to be many, many more.
Malls and foodcourts are the best. I hope they make a comeback. Where i live the mall and foodcourt are still doing good
It's no big mystery... Super-centers (ie: Walmart) are the biggest reason malls died. That and the extremely high prices in mall stores (which used to be popular because of lower prices).
just like most things in the US. Everyone wants to be rich overnight, so they raise prices and customers go away.
Food courts are still alive and strong in my country, though.
Singapore knows how to do a food court proper
@@joelsmith552 That depends on who you ask, a lot of other SEA countries would disagree
im just listening in doing other things and i jumped when judge judy shouted at me LOL i swear im working
I lived in Montreal, and here, food courts are still up and running today. But I would like to try the European food hall.
A much younger me would sit with my friends in the food court, drinking an Orange Julius spiked with vodka, and people watch, putting our words into their conversations. Loads of fun!
I personally hate going to malls these days. Too many gangs inside the mall, too many homeless people on the outside.
good video
Sherway Gardens in Toronto was never a flop. Through all their years, renovations, and iterations, it still remains a modern and popular mall today.
To be fair, seems the "town center" outdoor malls have become the replacement for the old mall.
I grew up in anchorage Alaska. The mall downtown had a Hawaiian food shop at the food court. I went there all the time especially in high school. I went back last year and they were gone :’(
Here I Southern California, most mall is dying. I recently took my son to playground in a mall. I decided to go ate in same mall. We went to a Chinese noodle place. We get to pick our ingredients for them to fry in front of us. It is the first time in my life I realized I am eating fake beef. I would only imagine this happens in China and not US. Lack of customer and inflation cause people do something like this to surprise
But the cookie stand is not part of the food court. It's an autonomous unit for mid-mall snacking
Our mall will have a food court forever.
my malls food court is still packed all the time. especially at the chicfila and popeyes. i hate having to walk through it but i love korean corndogs
Malls by me still jumpin so we good🎉
Quincy Market has been open waaaaaay longer than that. I think it opened as we currently recognize it in 1976
Incorrect: Mall of America was never the largest mall in the world. West Edmonton Mall in Canada was the largest mall in the world when Mall of America opened in 1992. It was also opened by the same people behind West Edmonton Mall.
It was however and still is the largest mall in America.
Malls are coming back thanks gen z and alpha
some of the malls near me are gonna close and be remade into Residential. would be cool if they still had a food court for the residents.