Eater Launches “Mall Food Madness,” a Nostalgic Tribute to the Great American Mall

Eater today launched “Mall Food Madness” – a collection of stories that examines and celebrates America’s unique connection to the mall and the varied ways we eat our way through it.

Because the vibrant, crowded, bustling mall has become a thing of the past, food has increasingly become central to its survival. Old malls are reinventing themselves into diverse entertainment complexes with destination restaurants, and a new breed of ultra-malls has transformed the food court entirely into aspirational culinary destinations.

Through salutes to food court staples like Mrs. Fields and Auntie Anne’s, profile spotlights on iconic strip mall businesses like Panda Express, a flashback piece about 80s mall food culture, personal essays and more, “Mall Food Madness” is a nostalgic tribute to the Great American Mall.

The full list of stories is below:

• First Person: Panda Express and Its Empire of Orange Chicken [VIDEO]
• Mrs. Fields and the Bittersweet Smell of Success, by Bettina Makalintal
• Why We’re Still Obsessed with Rainforest Cafe, by Justine Jones
• The Enduring Allure of the Mall Pretzel, by Amy McCarthy
• Learning to be Mexican at The Mexican Discount Mall Candy Store, by Bill Esparza
• The Very Last Restaurant in the East Broadway Mall, by Wei Tchou
• The Great LA Dumpling Drama, by Ryan Bradley
• Fountains of Youths, by Jamie Loftus
• All the Mall Food Smells, Ranked, by Jaya Saxena
• The Ultimate Mall Food Eating Guide, by Eater Staff

Eater was founded in 2005 as a local New York City restaurant blog, and was acquired by Vox Media in 2013 after expanding into a multi-city network. Since then, it has evolved into one of America’s largest and most influential food publications, a juggernaut of award-winning service, reporting, and entertainment. In April, Eater won its third National Magazine Award, in the Lifestyle Journalism category, and was nominated for six James Beard Media Awards.

For more, visit Eater.com and follow @eater on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

About Eater

Eater is the locals-first authoritative guide to eating better. Eater is at the forefront of reporting on the restaurant industry, shaping food culture with its award-winning journalism and programming, as well as its beloved maps and guides. The network has grown into the leading voice in the food media space with its passion for great food and great stories spanning digital and social platforms, audio, OTT and television — including No Passport Required, Eater’s PBS docuseries with host Chef Marcus Samuelsson, celebrating America’s diverse immigrant food traditions, and a multi-year, multi-series deal with Hulu including Eater’s Guide to the World.