Consumerism As A Service

I can’t help but notice the advent of food halls as a destination space. There are several in Cincinnati now, and if they are now here, I suspect they are well established in other larger cities. The food hall concept is one that combines a multitude of eateries with a broad selection of cuisines and tastes, and typically includes serving alcohol, especially in the cocktail/craft beer category. This got me thinking, is this just another take on a mall food court, just without the shopping?

One would wonder if the dying shopping malls just need an about face in how they approach attracting foot traffic. Typically mall food courts are dominated by fast food restaurants and plastic chairs, with the emphasis that they are there just to keep people nourished so they do not leave the building when they are hungry. They are a secondary attraction, they are not meant to be a primary driver. In fact, a date to a mall food court would be more suited to a joke’s punchline than a serious consideration. But why?

Food halls seem to be geared more toward the childless adult with disposable income, no doubt a growing segment in our society. The food hall concept lets them sample sushi from one restaurant, pho from another, and wash it all down with a nice glass of white wine. Kid’s menus are typically not published and if you bring a family you need to be a little creative when you order. I look at our local shopping mall, which by all means seems on its last legs, and notice the restaurants are not even close to being what I would consider an attraction. When I mention to people I think some of the best pho is at that mall’s food court, I get laughed at. If I were to say that the local hip food hall has it, I might get a nod and “we should check that out sometime” response.

There is no doubt malls need a rebranding. There is also no doubt childless people tend to not want to be around those with children. They want a date night. What if malls could combine the “casual sophistication” of a food hall and combine it with shopping? Most food halls will have a place where people can gather. You often see central courtyards with seating, gas fire pits, or other attractions like pickleball courts or a concert stage. What if you rolled in more shopping?

It seems most people now-a-days are leaning more into the experience side of life than the consumer side of life, but I do not think we can discount the desires of those who would like to grab a few things before they head home, or maybe even give people a reason to visit. I usually do not see many shopping options at these food halls, typically there maybe a boutique or two but often not many.

One of the downsides though of attracting a lot of youth traffic is the youth themselves, especially the “drop-offs.” With social media and cell-phones it is easy for youth to congregate quickly into mobs and there are many stories of youth running amok in shopping malls. A few we have visited have security checking for chaperones. The young people just do not have much to do these days. In our own area a private indoor skatepark, roller skating rink, and public pool have all closed. Unfortunately this coincided with a boom of building and youth moving into the area, seemingly with less to do than when we were a rural farming community.