A Blast from the Past: Mall Food Courts

Let's take a trip back to the mid- to late-2000s. Shopping malls were still a popular hangout spot for kids, teenagers, young adults, and families. Big box retail stores were thriving. Shoppers who were gunning for the best deals were also hungry for the closest meals. People didn't have cell phones to look through places to eat, so they simply went to the closest place around the mall: food courts. Mid-quality fast food chains, not-so-authentic "international buffets" (mostly Chinese and Japanese buffets), large slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza, and those nostalgic free samples of chicken served on a toothpick.

What happened to these food courts and why are they a thing of the past?

WHY MALL FOOD COURTS WERE POPULAR

We've all heard the broken record storylines: "In-person shopping & dining are dying", "Everyone is embracing all things virtual at the convenience of their homes." I think it's deeper than that with mall food courts.

Mall food courts made sense in the 1990s and 2000s decades in this bigger picture theme of the "commercial era." Fast food chains were not only wildly popular, but they were accepted with little to no questions about nutrition or food safety. Big box retailers were in style by carrying standardized, well-recognized brands. Big brands had respect for being reliable and trustworthy. While there were several big brands and in-person channels, the amount of options for people to shop at was vastly limited compared to the modern era and the advent of online shopping. A case can even be made for people seeking more standardized career pathways with the typical 9-5 work schedules in corporate America. Mall food courts and their standardized, commercial fast food chains across the country fit perfectly into a society that was built around a standardized, commercial way of life.

WHY MALL FOOD COURTS ARE DYING

The 2010s were an inflection point, and the 2020s appear to be a whole new game. If the '90s and '00s were defined by "commercialization and standardization", these coming decades can be defined by "purpose-driven and diversity." Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are more health conscious and sustainability-driven.

• 33% of Gen Z survey respondents indicated that sustainability impacted their food & beverage decisions

• 50% of Gen Z respondents agreed that their food & beverage choices made an impact on the environment, according to Food Insight.

• 72% of Gen Z is likely to follow a dietary / eating pattern, which is more likely compared to the Baby Boomer and Gen X groups

Sustainability and health are top of mind for younger generations as they make their food choices

How can fast food and mall food courts fit with these trends? These younger generations are too purpose-driven and conscious of their health and the environment to eat at mall food courts.

CASE FOR CHANGE

While the traditional mall food courts may not be as appealing in this era, there is some hope to revive these struggling segments. Mall food courts don't have to stay all-in on fast food chains. I'm not saying completely get rid of fast food chains, as they still serve an important role in offering affordable, convenient dining options. However, mall food courts could diversify to include space for local, boutique restaurants that diversify beyond the standard pizza and buffet spots at a food court. They could experiment with spreading out boutique pop-up-restaurants across the mall to garner a sense of ingenuity and surprise rather than a central hub of all their restaurants. They could even dare to experiment with creating hands-on food experiences, where shoppers could attend cooking classes, themed restaurant events, and more.

Malls have already been playing around with new, innovative ways to adapt their food courts from being a fossil of the past to a gem of the future. Stay tuned for part 2 of this article on case studies that spotlight successful mall transformations to bring a creative foodie experience to malls.