Mr. Rouse's first culinary complex -the Gourmet Village- premiered at Philly's PLYMOUTH MEETING MALL in 1966. It was unsuccessful. A larger version -Pic-Nic In The Park- debuted at PARAMUS PARK in 1974. This time, the concept worked famously. This centralized food facility was replicated in nearly every mall across the nation during the 1980s and '90s.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Nightscream"
Welcome to the largest mall and retail history site on the internet. The MALL HALL OF FAME is a vintage shopping mall scrapbook. Its focus is on shopping complexes built -in the USA- between 1946 and 1979. This site includes historical sections about regional department stores, discount stores, 5 & 10 stores and supermarkets. Don't forget to visit our four Shopping Mall Memory Lanes, which transport you through time to a mall in 1956, 1963, 1970 and 1977!