13 Mall Food Court Restaurants Everyone Loved In The '80s

If you grew up in the 1980s, then you almost certainly spent the occasional Saturday strolling the mall with your friends. It was an easy way to get out of the house, but let's be honest — you probably weren't buying new clothes every single trip. You were more likely to head to the food court for an affordable bite to eat at one of the many fast-casual restaurants right at your fingertips.

These days, shopping malls are on the decline. The rise in online shopping is likely to blame, and with the demise of the brick-and-mortar store came less interest in regularly spending an hour or two at the food court chatting and people-watching — though you can still find some awesome food courts around the country today. We've rounded up some of the most popular mall food court spots that abounded in the 1980s; while some of them are still around, others have fully rebranded, and some are completely defunct. Do you remember any of these 1980s food court staples?

Today, Orange Julius is most closely associated with Dairy Queen, but back in the 1980s, it was a standalone spot that often appeared inside mall food courts. It sold that signature creamy, sweet, frothy orange concoction, and it was common to walk around and explore stores while sipping on it. If you were hungry, the store also sold a pretty decent hot dog.

Sbarro might just have been the first chain to popularize mall food court pizza. It's known for its New York-style pies, and in the decade of wide-leg parachute pants and extra-large hair, it sold extra-large slices to match. Sbarro was easily a fan-favorite food court spot of the decade, and you can still find it in mall food courts today.

If you were craving a pretzel in the 1980s, you didn't find the nearest Auntie Anne's or Wetzel's Pretzels. Instead, you headed to Hot Sam Pretzels, which set the stage for mall snacks throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The chain sold warm, flavorful soft pretzels that paired well with anything from mustard to cream cheese. The first location was actually in a mall, which tells you everything you need to know about the impact it had on food courts. Hot Sam was ultimately acquired by Mrs. Fields, which eventually rebranded it as Pretzel Time.

Yes, Mrs. Fields acquired Hot Sam, but the cookie giant also ran its own standalone locations in mall food courts during the 1980s. After a savory lunch, you headed to Mrs. Fields for a freshly baked cookie that was soft, chewy, and — if you were lucky — still warm. Today, Mrs. Fields still exists in malls, though its food court footprint has gotten smaller.

This was another food court cookie brand that was popular around the same time as Mrs. Fields. It was best known for popularizing the cookie cake, and people would stop by to pick up their favorite cookie before leaving the food court. One Reddit user recalls always ordering an "M&M's cookie with a cherry slushy" — a very '80s meal. These days, the company is called Great American Cookies, and the brand is still around, with 372 locations across the country.

Steak Escape was one of the few places you could get a steak sandwich inside a mall food court. Its most popular decade was the 1980s, and it became a regional staple in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. Over time, though, nearly 300 locations closed across the regions. Today, the brand still exists, and it's trying to make a comeback under one of the chain's co-founders' sons, who is rebuilding the company.

Roy Rogers hit peak popularity during the 1980s, and while the restaurant did have standalone locations, it was also incredibly popular in mall food courts. People loved stopping in for a quick burger or roast beef sandwich, and it was a great place to grab lunch after a long day of walking around the mall. The chain is still around today, though most locations are in the Mid-Atlantic and Virginia.

With so many standalone Chick-fil-A restaurants on highways these days, this might seem hard to believe, but before CFA made it big as a standalone brick-and-mortar operation, it often operated in mall food courts throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The first location opened in 1967, and malls soon became its temporary home; fans recall grabbing chicken strips in between shopping. It eventually opened its first standalone spot in 1986, and mall locations started to dwindle.

If you had to guess what this food court chain served, you'd likely be right. It was essentially a corn dog spot with a handful of other menu items. It offered the fried, doughy treat that enticed passersby as they perused the food court. Rumor has it that Hot Dog on a Stick was the first food court restaurant ever, but unfortunately, its popularity didn't last. Still, the chain has somehow survived all these years, and believe it or not, it's planning a major comeback.

If you craved boardwalk fries but weren't near the beach, this food court spot had you covered. The chain started in 1981 and sold exactly what you'd expect, but did it its own way. "They were fried in peanut oil and you could put malt vinegar on them," one person recalled in a nostalgic mall food court thread on Facebook. Today, it still exists, and it licenses its franchises under two names: Boardwalk Fries and Boardwalk Fries Burgers and Shakes.

The Great Steak & Potato Company opened its first location in the Dayton area in 1982, and soon it appeared in mall food courts as a rival to Steak Escape. It made the classic Philly cheesesteak an accessible mall meal. Ultimately, the brand switched its name to just "Great Steak," and you can still find it in a handful of mall food courts today.

Maybe the name just made it seem that way, but Au Bon Pain felt like a slightly more elevated version of Panera Bread. It served sandwiches, soups, and salads with soft, fluffy bread that made you feel like you were in a Parisian café and not sitting across from Sears. Au Bon Pain was the preamble to Panera Bread (yes, they were founded by the same guy, Ron Schiach), and in the 1980s, stopping for a sandwich here was the thing to do when you hit the mall. The fast-casual chain expanded into malls throughout that decade, and it still exists today with locations in 10 states.

Cinnabon is certainly still around today, but it first landed in malls in 1985 and was an instant hit. It's known for its iconic cinnamon rolls, but it also sells drinks like coffee and lemonade. It was — and still is — one of those food court spots that attracted adults and kids alike. If you hit a shopping mall today, you'll certainly still see these in many food courts around the country.