Mall food court gets energy boost

The modern appeal of a Florence, SC shopping center

As contemporary malls go, Magnolia Mall in Florence, South Carolina appears relatively healthy. Its tenant spaces haven’t been turned over to slapdash costume shops, and most of its anchor boxes still house retail operations, rather than government offices priced out of downtown. For Americans whose memory lanes are lined with Kay Jewelers and Great American Cookies, this is a prime mall to stroll.

Across the country, though, malls are in trouble.

Approximately one-third of U.S. malls have closed since their tally peaked around 2,500 in the 1980s, and roughly 750 former department stores at still-active malls are empty. An October report predicts online shopping, lingering pandemic concerns about closeness indoors, and consumer malaise will bring the number of malls nationwide down to 150 within a decade.

It would stand to reason, then, that mall food courts’ days are numbered too. Without teens browsing prom dress racks and seniors marking off miles, who’s going to congregate at Sbarro and Panda Express?

Tesla owners, apparently.

Magnolia Mall has emerged as a favorite stop of electric vehicle owners up and down the East Coast because it’s equipped with 18 Superchargers, situated just paces from the entryway to its food court. In an online review aimed at other Tesla drivers, Jonathan L. deemed the setup “awesome.”

While Magnolia is uniquely attractive to road trippers because