7 Mall Food Court Chains North Carolinians Are Happy To Forget & 7 They’d Love To See Again
Remember those carefree days spent wandering the mall, shopping bags in hand, when the mouthwatering scent of food court favorites seemed to follow you everywhere? As a North Carolina native, I’ve had a front-row seat to the evolution of mall dining over the years.
From the golden era of booming retail to the quieter, modern-day corridors, the food court has always held a special place in our memories.
Some chains delivered comfort and nostalgia in every bite, while others left us questioning our choices. Join me on a nostalgic journey through the highs and lows of mall food court history in the Tar Heel State.
1. Happy To Forget: Sbarro’s Soggy Pizza Slices
Those giant, greasy triangles under heat lamps haunt my food court memories. Sbarro somehow managed to make pizza both rubbery and soggy at the same time – quite the culinary achievement!
I’ll never forget watching a teenage employee fish my slice from the display with tongs, flop it onto a paper plate, and slide it across the counter with complete disinterest. The cheese always congealed into a strange plastic-like substance halfway through eating.
Despite its ubiquitous presence in nearly every North Carolina mall, few tears were shed when these locations began closing. Good riddance to bad pizza!
2. Love To See Again: Orange Julius’s Frothy Delights
Nothing beat cooling down with a frothy Orange Julius after hours of shopping. That magical combination of orange juice, milk, vanilla, and ice created heaven in a cup!
My mom would treat me to one whenever we visited Carolina Place Mall in the 90s. The distinctive whirring sound of their blenders signaled delicious relief was moments away. Though technically still around in some Dairy Queen locations, it’s just not the same experience.
The friendly staff with their orange-striped uniforms and the special powdered mix they’d sprinkle on top made every visit special. North Carolinians definitely miss those standalone Orange Julius counters.
3. Happy To Forget: Hot Dog on a Stick’s Awkward Uniforms
Those poor employees! Multicolored striped hats and shorts that looked like they came straight from a 1970s gym class – Hot Dog on a Stick’s uniforms were a fashion crime that should remain buried in mall food court history.
Beyond the eye-searing outfits, the food was equally forgettable. The corn dogs were often overcooked, and the lemonade-making process involved workers dramatically pounding giant lemons with long poles – entertaining but oddly aggressive.
While Charlotte’s SouthPark Mall hosted one of these locations for years, few North Carolinians shed tears when this chain’s presence diminished across the state. The uniforms alone deserve permanent retirement!
4. Love To See Again: Piccadilly Cafeteria’s Southern Comfort
Before food courts got all fast-foody, Piccadilly Cafeteria brought homestyle southern cooking to Carolina Circle Mall and others across the state. Grabbing that tray and sliding it along the metal rails was practically a North Carolina tradition!
The sweet little ladies in hairnets would serve up mac and cheese, fried chicken, and those heavenly yeast rolls that melted in your mouth. My grandma always went straight for their carrot soufflé – a dish I’ve never found a proper replacement for.
When Piccadilly closed its doors in 1996, we lost more than just another eatery. We lost a gathering place where multiple generations of North Carolina families could enjoy comfort food together.
5. Happy To Forget: Panda Express’s Mystery Meat
Mall Chinese food has a special place in culinary disappointment, and Panda Express led the charge. Those steam tables of orange-tinted chicken chunks swimming in suspiciously shiny sauce still give me nightmares!
As a teenager hanging at Triangle Town Center, I’d occasionally cave to hunger and order their chow mein. The noodles always had that peculiar texture – somehow both mushy and crunchy. And the portion sizes? Comically small unless you paid for extra everything.
While Panda Express still exists, many North Carolinians breathed a sigh of relief when more authentic Asian options started appearing in our food courts. No more mystery meat masquerading as cultural cuisine!
6. Love To See Again: Hot Sam Pretzels’ Buttery Twists
Before Auntie Anne’s took over the pretzel world, Hot Sam ruled North Carolina mall corridors with their intoxicating aroma of fresh-baked dough. One whiff could pull you across an entire shopping center!
Their pretzels came drenched in real butter – not that fake liquid stuff. I’d watch, mesmerized, as employees twisted dough into perfect shapes right before my eyes at Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem. The salt crystals were massive compared to today’s dainty sprinkles.
Hot Sam’s cinnamon sugar pretzel bites came in those little paper bags that would develop satisfying grease spots as you carried them around. No current pretzel chain has captured that same authentic, handcrafted quality.
7. Happy To Forget: McDonald’s Mall Edition
McDonald’s in malls somehow managed to be even worse than regular McDonald’s – a truly impressive feat! These cramped versions with their abbreviated menus and marathon-length lines were the epitome of food court frustration.
During holiday shopping seasons at Crabtree Valley Mall, you’d wait forever only to receive fries that had clearly been sitting under the heat lamp since Halloween. The seating area always seemed sticky, and finding an empty table felt like winning the lottery.
Plus, mall McDonald’s locations always smelled different – that unique blend of cheap burgers mixed with department store perfume samples. North Carolina shoppers definitely don’t miss these sad fast-food outposts!
8. Love To See Again: Mrs. Fields Cookie Heaven
Fresh-baked cookies that filled entire shopping centers with their warm, buttery aroma – Mrs. Fields was the ultimate mall treat! While technically still around, their North Carolina presence has dwindled dramatically from their 1990s heyday.
Remember those cookie cakes decorated for birthdays? Pure magic! My childhood best friend and I would pool our allowance money at Four Seasons Town Centre to split a half-dozen Nibblers – those bite-sized cookie pieces that somehow tasted better than the full-sized versions.
The employees would always offer samples straight from the oven, still gooey in the middle. Nothing beat shopping with a warm chocolate chip cookie in hand, leaving a trail of crumbs through JCPenney.
9. Happy To Forget: Arby’s Questionable Roast Beef
Arby’s mall locations took fast food disappointment to new heights. Those paper-thin slices of mysterious “roast beef” piled high between soggy buns haunted food courts across North Carolina for decades.
The meat always had that strange iridescent sheen under fluorescent lighting. And the horsey sauce? More like disappointment in condiment form! Their curly fries were the sole redeeming quality, though they’d inevitably be cold by the time you found a table.
Carolina shoppers developed a sixth sense for avoiding these food court traps. When Arby’s began closing mall locations throughout the state, collective sighs of relief could be heard from Asheville to Wilmington. Some things are better left in the past!
10. Love To See Again: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour Extravaganza
Farrell’s wasn’t just ice cream – it was a full-blown experience! While not strictly a food court staple, these mall-adjacent ice cream palaces were birthday party central for North Carolina kids in the 1980s.
The Zoo – their massive sundae brought out with sirens blaring and employees running – was legendary at Eastland Mall in Charlotte. Servers dressed in striped vests and straw boater hats would sing, bang drums, and make every visit feel like a special occasion.
When Farrell’s disappeared from North Carolina malls, we lost more than desserts. We lost that magical place where ice cream came with a side of spectacle and celebration. Modern food courts feel downright boring by comparison!
11. Happy To Forget: Quiznos’ Disturbing Spongmonkey Ads
Remember those nightmare-inducing commercials with deranged singing rodent puppets? Quiznos somehow thought these would make people crave toasted subs! The bizarre marketing matched their equally strange mall food court presence.
Their sandwiches always had that peculiar smell – not quite fresh, not quite stale, just…odd. And the bread! Those toasted subs could scrape the roof of your mouth raw in seconds flat. I still have flashbacks to bloody palates after lunching at Northgate Mall’s Quiznos.
The chain’s rapid decline meant most North Carolina malls bid farewell to these sandwich shops years ago. Between the creepy ads and mouth-injuring food, few Tar Heel shoppers miss Quiznos’ strange mall food court energy.
12. Love To See Again: Chick-fil-A’s Original Mall Locations
Before they were standalone fast-food powerhouses, Chick-fil-A started in malls! Those original food court counters at places like Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville had a special charm that drive-thrus just can’t replicate.
The menu was refreshingly simple – chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and lemonade. No elaborate ordering systems or mobile apps – just friendly folks in red shirts handing you food on actual plates with real silverware! Mall Chick-fil-As also seemed to have extra-crispy chicken and fresher-tasting pickles.
While the chain has obviously thrived, many North Carolinians miss those humble mall beginnings. There was something special about grabbing a chicken sandwich while shopping that today’s standalone locations, with their endless drive-thru lines, just don’t capture.
13. Happy To Forget: Sarku Japan’s Aggressive Sample Pushers
Shopping peacefully? Not if Sarku Japan employees spotted you! Their sample-wielding staff would practically jump in front of you, thrusting toothpicks of bourbon chicken in your face. “Try chicken? Try chicken?” became the unofficial soundtrack of North Carolina mall corridors.
Beyond the pushy sampling tactics, the food itself was mediocre at best. Those massive portions of rice with three measly pieces of meat on top never quite satisfied. And the vegetables always had that strange, faded appearance – like they’d been sitting out since the mall opened.
As Sarku locations have decreased across the state, shoppers can now navigate food courts without dodging sample ambushes. Sometimes progress means fewer teriyaki chicken encounters!
14. Love To See Again: Great American Cookies’ Birthday Celebrations
Those giant cookie cakes with colorful frosting designs were the highlight of countless North Carolina birthday celebrations! Great American Cookies has sadly disappeared from many of our malls, taking their sugary magic with them.
Walking by their counter at Concord Mills was a sensory experience – that buttery, vanilla-laced aroma could stop you mid-shopping spree. Their chocolate chip cookies had the perfect texture: crisp edges with chewy centers that would stay soft even hours after purchase.
My 16th birthday featured their double-doozie cookie sandwiches – two cookies with frosting in between – arranged on a platter for my friends. While some locations remain, the widespread presence they once had in North Carolina malls is sorely missed.