One of the main concerns of new emerging food companies is the excessive growth of competition in restaurants and, due to the uncertainty surrounding peak hours and customer interests, companies then decide to enter the food court industry. With ever-increasing trends in the expectations of the food industry, companies are struggling to make a name for themselves in the foodcourt environment. For example, sales in shopping malls reached about $49 billion in 2009, and food courts generally performed better than other food service in shopping malls. Revenue per square foot from food courts has declined just 1.7 percent this year, while fast food restaurants and full-service mall restaurants have fallen 4.4 percent and 6 percent, respectively, according to ICSC. [16] For several years, Business Insider has referred to Panda Express as one of the first notorious successful food court companies, widely noticed by many other food industry insiders. One of the reasons for the success of Panda Express was the constant change and updating of its menu items. [17] Food is usually eaten with plastic cutlery, and pigs are sometimes used to avoid having to provide both forks and spoons. There are exceptions: Carrefour Laval requires its food court tenants to use sturdy crockery and cutlery that it provides. [8] In Jakarta, the food court has evolved into a food park concept in which food stalls are located in open spaces resembling parks. There are now several food parks in Jakarta.
A food court (also known as a food hall or peddler center in Asia Pacific)[1] is typically an indoor space or common area within a facility that adjoins the counters of several food vendors and provides a common space for self-service dining. [2] [3] It can also be a public dining room in front of a café or restaurant. Costco Wholesale has one of the largest and most successful businesses that profits from the sale of food courts. They are moving away from the health-conscious, gourmet and expensive image movement that other food retailers are striving for. While many food court companies rely on the healthy, fresh image, Costco markets its food court in a way that simply fits the stereotypical image of fast food. By placing its food court near the exit of its store, Costco can generate a little more revenue as part of its business plan, allowing customers to stay longer in their store to buy more products from their business. This is one of their most important business strategies, as Costco is known for its mass-produced products, pricing, and food court. [18] Food courts consist of a number of vendors at food stalls or service counters. Meals are ordered from one of the vendors and then taken to a communal dining room.
Food can also be ordered to take away to be consumed elsewhere, such as at home or work. In this case, it can be packed in plastic or foam containers, although a common food tray used by all stalls can also be used to transport food to the tables. Food court vendors may also sell packaged meals that consumers can take home. [7] The second-floor food court at Paramus Park Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, which opened in March 1974, is considered the first successful food court in the United States. However, a food court at Sherway Gardens Mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was built three years earlier. Built by the Rouse Company, one of the leading shopping centre construction companies of the time, it followed an unsuccessful attempt at Plymouth Meeting Mall in 1971, which reportedly failed because it was considered “too small and insufficiently varied”.[10] [10] [11] Common types of food courts are those that are spacious and offer plenty of space for consumers to sit but do not have much food to buy. Another type is a food court, which is small and has no space to sit, but has many types of food that are open for consumption. [19] The first type of food court in 3rd world countries may not be as profitable because people in these areas generally want different types of food.
[19] The cuisine and choice are varied, with larger food courts offering a wider global choice. Asian and African food courts are mostly private vendors offering local cuisine. In Singapore, food courts and hawker centres are people`s most important choices when eating out. [9] The concept has since developed in the United States in the form of the Food Hall, which has gained popularity in the United States. [12] Typical food courts in North America and Europe mainly have fast food chains (such as McDonald`s and Sbarro, Panda Express) in combination with other independent suppliers.