The mall food court was the beating heart of many a teenage hangout, but sadly many once-loved chains have long shuttered.

You probably have memories of chowing down at a mall food court at some point in your life. But over the years, plenty have quietly disappeared.

Food courts became local hotspots. The first mall food court opened at the Paramus Park Mall in New Jersey in 1974, and the concept soon spread. Food-court staples like Sbarro, Auntie Anne's ...