Restaurants are replacing retail stores as anchors in shopping malls, offering consumers dining choices ranging from soup dumplings to bubble tea, waffles and Filipino food, in both quick-service and sit-down spots.
Recent data from Yelp shows that over the last five years, people are increasingly visiting malls for dining experiences, with national quick-service and casual-dining chains leading the charge.
The Cheesecake Factory is the most popular mall brand, followed by soup dumpling concept Din Tai Fung—both pulling ahead of Macy’s at No. 3. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse comes in at No. 4, followed by True Food Kitchen (No.5), Starbucks (No. 6) and Olive Garden Italian Restaurant (No. 7). California Pizza Kitchen and Panera Bread round out the top 10 list respectively.
Of the top 25 mall brands, 17 are dining destinations, according to Yelp.
“While Yelp searches for malls and shopping centers are down [8%] over the last five years, malls remain a critical hub for retail, restaurants and other experiential businesses—they just look different than they did five years ago,” said Yelp’s head of restaurants, Alison Lin. “Restaurants are obviously a central growth area, with the number of restaurant and food business locations in malls and shopping centers growing 7% in that same time period.”
Several of the food business categories growing in malls reflect eating and drinking trends on the upswing. Bubble tea concepts rose 113% between 2019 and 2024, waffles are up 77%, vegan eateries increased 54%, beer bars, 42%, and Filipino food 36%.
“As malls continue to navigate a tougher retail environment, now is a great time for restaurants to take advantage of lower real estate prices and great locations for the longer term,” said Lin. “Restaurants want to look for mall and shopping center locations that align with the kinds of businesses they want to associate with or be close to. For example, if they are targeting Gen Z and millennials with trendy and viral food options, finding a highly trafficked location in a mall near a Sephora or Ulta Beauty might drive additional customers.” Entertainment venues, like AMC’s dine-in movie theaters and virtual reality centers, are also gaining popularity in malls, she added.
Should restaurants alter their menus if they decide to locate in a shopping mall? Not according to Lin.
“When you look at the kinds of restaurant brands seeing the most consumer interest in malls right now—businesses like The Cheesecake Factory, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Chili’s and more—many of them have expansive menus that cater to different tastes and preferences. The most effective strategy for brands is to offer the same menu that they do at non-mall locations. Consumers come to expect consistency from these brands, and maintaining great menu options across all locations is important,” she said.
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