It's a difficult enough thing with online shopping being what it is, but I don't understand why they haven't been able to build an amazing food court. However low you have to drop the rent, it's an investment.
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Natick Mall Firearms K9
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Malls are not dropping rent to the level necessary to keep them full - just like homeowners often keep prices above market (and not sell) for a period of time after a sharp drop in market value. They are a financial disaster for the owners, as the numbers get worse every time leases come up for renewal. Pre-covid, when malls were doing well, there was an exodus of numerous stores when the 10 year (I think) leases came up for renewal and the mall raised rates considerably - but the vacancies were quickly filled by other businesses willing to pay the higher market rate.
Amazing food court? Wegman tried that with a decent Mexican restaurant at their Natick Mall location and if failed well before the store did. One of the employees told me the 7/22 is closing date for Wegmans, lots of stuff is 50% off, and entire rows of shelves have been stripped bare. It looks like a communist paradise food mart.
As to non-traditional businesses. The words "good luck with that" come to mind with the video cube game place that opened up (you interact with the game in a room with the environment projected on all 4 walls). I doubt they will get much business at the something like $40/half hour pricing. Makes about as much sense when they tried a "pay by the minute and page printed" internet cafe in the center of the food court.
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No, it just proved that the machine was turned off and didn't alarm on anyone! Security theatre indeed.Privilege people be privileged
KBCraig
NES Member
I suggested that in my previous career: if you want to deter introduction of contraband via visitor, just park an officer on the front steps with some random well-behaved mutt.It would be funny if it turns out they're just like using random rescue dogs and the whole thing is theatre..... basically to keep the local 85% white moonbat population there "feeling safe".....
Not an actual trained detection dog, no. Just any shepherd-like full size dog that has passed the Canine Good Citizen test, and spends the rest of his time visiting nursing homes and hospitals.
Probably half the visitors would have turned around and left without coming in.
@SHOCKNAWE knows what I'm talking about.
Eastfield Mall in Springfield is closing. All the big anchor stores are long gone, and the restaurants are mostly gone, too. The state gave them a transfusion by making them a regional center for the clot shot during the pandemic, but that's history.
Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, there would be plenty of space for a couple dozen FFLs to set up shop.
Hmmmm. Now that I think about it, there would be plenty of space for a couple dozen FFLs to set up shop.
Not really what I had in mind. Natick Mall has had a pretty decent selection of sit-down restaurants, so yeah, that's been tried. I'm not sure there is a restaurant in Natick more popular than The Cheesecake Factory, but the mall isn't even accessible from it. You have to go outside, IIRC. Even when you can access the restaurant from the mall, I think sit down restaurants in a mall function more as simple tenants, maybe not even as good as an average tenant. I don't think they attract shoppers, rather diners who just arrive to eat and leave immediately after they've eaten. By "amazing food court" what I had in mind was a large number of different options, all inexpensive fast food, most chains, but also at least a sprinkling of unique options. It's easy to get the family to agree to go to the mall for dinner if everybody can think of something there that they would want. Afterwards you split up, walk around the mall, visit your favorite stores, window shop, whatever. At least that's what we used to do. I haven't been there in years, but Burlington Mall had an average food court in the mid-2000's. Decent. Natick was never as good. It should have been better, and it's only gone downhill. What I guess is that they keep the rent too high for profits to be made from an ordinary fast food franchise.
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The concept of taking the family to a mall food court for dinner strikes me as rather bizzare.
I agree.
It is my impression that Singapore has some outstanding food courts, but I don’t think any of our mall food courts approach that level of quality.
NHKevin
NES Member
Why?
Kids want mac'n'cheese or chicken nuggets or cheeseburgers or whatever.
Parents frequently can't take the kids out for a nice steak or sushi or Indian or Thai or...
If both types of food were available at the same time, that could be a winner. The model already exists in many places.
Boston Public Market - Shop Small & Support Local
The Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round marketplace featuring 30 New England farmers, fishers, artisans, and food entrepreneurs.
bostonpublicmarket.org
Yup.Why?
Kids want mac'n'cheese or chicken nuggets or cheeseburgers or whatever.
Parents frequently can't take the kids out for a nice steak or sushi or Indian or Thai or...
If both types of food were available at the same time, that could be a winner. The model already exists in many places.
Boston Public Market - Shop Small & Support Local
The Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round marketplace featuring 30 New England farmers, fishers, artisans, and food entrepreneurs.
Divorced father of 4, weekend meals needed to be fun and efficient. I had 2 main kinds of meals, activity meals like we all made pizza together, or food court, which was at least a little better than fast food. Toss in the occasional real restaurant and it all worked well.
Why? We’ve always had one night a week where we went out for fast food, and when the kids were old enough they’d want to visit Gamestop, an arcade, or a the bookstore. Of course the bookstore in the mall thing died first, but back then we did. It’s a New England thing not to take your family shopping?
Asaltweapon
NES Member
When I worked at various companies in the Burlington area there were some decent restaurants in the mall. Legal was one that was good for later years then went to shit.
I forget the name of the nicer sit down spot that had better foods than some.
I’ve never been inside a Cheesecake Factory. Many of us went there from the old ComputerVision days.
I forget the name of the nicer sit down spot that had better foods than some.
I’ve never been inside a Cheesecake Factory. Many of us went there from the old ComputerVision days.
Retired-LEO
NES Member
Family dining at the mall wasn't bad in the 70's. At least one restaurant that I remember well.
My family wan't very well off financially, we rarely could afford to go to a real restaurant.
However back then, Your Steak House was really pretty good. Plus it was priced reasonable.
The food was good enough that; usually at dinner time the line to get in... was 30-45 minutes long.
Asaltweapon
NES Member
pj150
NES Member
Same kind of thing when I was a kid, Go to York at the Natick Mall after mom dragged me and my sister shopping. We were a handful so that was the reward for being patient and cooperative. But there was none of the negotiation you see parents do with kids now. If we got out of line she wouldn't even say anything, we just didn't get to go to York. We learned quickly.
