Malls have had a turbulent time in the last decade or two. Once online retail giants like it Amazon came into play — and then a global pandemic — many became loose shells of the shopping experiences they once were.

A new survey reveals that people visit malls these days for two reasons, and neither of them is to shop.

According to Yelp, people visit malls these days to dine and experience more than to buy things. National restaurant chains such as The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchenwho often call malls home, own 17 of the top 25 categories in mall brands.

The data speaks for itself. Yelp says, “While traditional retail remains important, the focus has shifted to food and entertainment, with restaurants playing a central role in attracting visitors.”

Among the top 25 brands that attract mall visitors are fan favorites such as, Chili’s, Starbucks and The olive garden — mall staples for decades. Yelp trends indicate that people decide to go to malls because of a restaurant they like, then after they eat, they walk around and possibly look for entertainment.

Entertainment in this case means places like Dave and Buster’sa cinema or bowling.

In the 80s and 90s, it was the other way around – you’d go to the mall to shop and then end up at the food court on the way out. If you were lucky, on a weekend night your parents might take you out to eat at one of the restaurants in the final mall. They were considered fancy!

The good news here is that malls are coming back, so there will be less huge empty spaces. Although the reasons why people go to a mall now are different, they still go.

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