Revealed: The restaurant brands that are driving Americans back to shopping malls

New data shows that Americans are increasingly visiting malls to eat, rather than shop.

The Cheesecake Factory and newcomer Din Tai Fung have been named this year’s best shopping center brands, according to an analysis by the review site Yelp.

Casual and quick-service restaurants make up 17 of the top 25 brands in malls, with only a handful of home goods, clothing and beauty stores.

Classic films of the 1990s, such as Mean Girls, portrayed malls as bustling beehives of teen social life and destinations for shopping trips.

But now it seems that food and dining are becoming an anchor for shopping trips, rather than an afterthought after a long day of shopping.

The data also showed that the number of food and restaurant businesses in U.S. malls is growing, with the number of locations increasing 7 percent between 2019 and 2024.

Known for its extensive menu and decadent cheesecakes, The Cheesecake Factory, with its cult following, tops the list.

Din Tai Fung, a newer, more upscale Taiwanese restaurant praised for having “the largest dumplings in the world,” came in first at second place, according to Yelp.

The company has become a staple of food influencers and is increasingly relying on malls as a way to grow.

However, at number three is the first retail brand: Macy’s.

The department store chain is still among the most popular, according to Yelp, despite announcing earlier this year that it would close 150 underperforming stores over the next three years — 50 of which will close by the end of 2024.

To identify the most popular brands, Yelp ranked brands with at least 10 active locations in malls or shopping centers based on “consumer interest” between September 2023 and August 2024.

Consumer interest includes actions such as searching for a business, viewing its page on Yelp, or posting a photo or review of a place.

The rest of the top ten consists of BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, True Food Kitchen, Starbucks, Olive Garden, Target, California Pizza Kitchen and Panera Bread.

According to an analysis by review site Yelp, The Cheesecake Factory was named the best shopping center brand this year

Known for its extensive menu and decadent cheesecakes, The Cheesecake Factory, with its cult following, is the top mall brand in 2024

Other retailers like Nordstrom Rack remain popular, but clothing stores are no longer the main draw for store visits.

“Beauty stores Sephora and Ulta Beauty also serve as post-dining stops, especially for Gen Z,” according to Yelp.

Of the twenty largest shopping center brands, the AMC cinema is the only brand in the ‘arts and entertainment’ category.

When it comes to the fastest growing category of businesses opening in malls, bubble tea is by far the winner, the analysis shows.

Over the past five years, locations selling the tea-based drink, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, have increased by a whopping 113 percent.

Bubble Tea businesses are the fastest growing mall openings in the past five years, Yelp found

Classic films of the 1990s such as Mean Girls portrayed malls as bustling beehives of teen social life and a destination for shopping trips

Din Tai Fung has become a staple of food influencers and is increasingly relying on malls as a way to grow

Other food favorites have also seen significant increases over the same period, including waffles – up 77 percent – ​​vegan food, which is up 54 percent, and Filipino food, which is up 36 percent.

But second in the rankings when it comes to the fastest growing category of businesses in shopping centers are VR centers.

These centers, where people can experience virtual reality games and other immersive experiences such as virtual reality golf, are becoming increasingly popular in malls across the country.

“As shopping centers continue to evolve, the integration of dining and entertainment will likely play an increasingly important role in their success,” Yelp said.