The food court is a vestige of what it once was. On Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., peak lunch hour, it was hard not to ignore the shells of former businesses like Lobster Me and Pressed, which permanently closed but haunt the space with their vacancies. A decent crowd of guests was scattered about the food court quietly consuming their meals, but many tables were left empty. Just south of San Francisco, another Westfield mall tells a different story. 

The Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, Calif., had a massive makeover that was completed in 2019. The overhaul added about 100 new merchants to the South Bay mall. (Susana Guerrero/SFGATE)
The Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, Calif., had a massive makeover that was completed in 2019. The overhaul added about 100 new merchants to the South Bay mall. (Susana Guerrero/SFGATE)

Around the same time on Wednesday, the food court at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara was packed as customers took their pick among Pizza My Heart, Chipotle, Popeyes and more. The space offered a mix of seating options that included communal areas, high-tops and an outdoor terrace with sweeping views. In another section of the mall just outside the food court, a long line of customers waited to dine at Ramen Nagi, while another group of patrons across the way patiently waited to get a table at Marugame Udon. I stopped to admire the kitchen staff through the storefront window as they lifted tender noodles from a giant steam pot. Eataly, which opened in June 2022, likewise had a crowd of famished customers eyeing a selection of pizzas and focaccia sandwiches at the famed three-level food emporium. 

The collection of restaurants, in addition to newer retail merchants, has been key for Westfield Valley Fair. In March, Sue Newsom, senior general manager at the mall, told Silicon Valley that foot traffic has been “exceptional” and has even exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

“We are really rounding out the retail, dining and entertainment destination here,” Newsom told Silicon Valley.

Another addition to Westfield Valley Fair is iChina restaurant, which opened in August 2021. The restaurant is among several posh options, including newcomer Mastro’s Steakhouse, Bamboo Sushi and a wildly popular Din Tai Fung. Justin Coutts, general manager of iChina, told SFGATE that the restaurant remains busy serving guests throughout the weekend.

“We attract destination diners, not just mall traffic,” Coutts said. “Americans aren’t as accustomed to fine dining restaurants in a shopping mall, but that is starting to change, as more upscale locations are going into malls.”

Westfield Valley Fair had a massive $1.1 billion renovation that was completed in 2019. The overhaul added 2.2 million square feet to the shopping center’s existing space, as well as a new parking structure and 100 new retailers. Since 2019, Westfield Valley Fair has debuted a slew of popular restaurants, including the Marugame Udon outpost, Shake Shack and a posh two-story Mastro’s Steakhouse, which opened at the end of 2022.

Since adding newer vendors, sales at Westfield Valley Fair increased by 66% between 2019 and December 2022, according to a statement from Westfield. Comparatively, sales at Westfield San Francisco Centre decreased from $455 million in 2019 to $298 million in 2022. Occupancy levels at Westfield San Francisco Centre have likewise reduced to 55%. That reduction includes anchor tenant Nordstrom, which announced its departure at the beginning of May.  

On Monday, Westfield and its partner Brookfield Properties announced they were transferring property management of the San Francisco mall to its lender. During the transition period, a new operator will assume control of the property and try to revive the mall or ultimately decide to close it, which will likely have ripple effects on the existing restaurants inside.

Before the announcement, many eateries inside Westfield San Francisco Centre had already closed. According to the San Francisco Standard, 16 food vendors shuttered after the beginning of the pandemic, leaving about 20 restaurants remaining. Meanwhile, the restaurant collection under the dome has completely vanished. Among its most notable departures was celebrity chef Martin Yan’s M.Y. China, which shuttered early in the pandemic when it struggled to attract customers willing to eat indoors.

“Being on the fourth floor makes it even more difficult,” Yan previously told SFGATE. “Nobody is going to go up there. … There’s no sense to open because there’s no revenue.”

Despite the downturn in sales, Westfield San Francisco Centre has had some success attracting customers by adding trendier restaurant options in recent years. Berkeley classic Blondie’s Pizza took up shop at the food court in 2022, while popular burger chain Shake Shack opened at the former Amazon Go site in 2021. Since then, the East Coast burger chain has had a consistent line of customers who queue up during the lunch rush. Manager Marshall Leonardy told SFGATE that staffers learned of Westfield’s plans to abandon the space via email. He didn’t seem concerned about the restaurant’s future, however, and said he feels optimistic about whoever takes over the shopping center next. 

“Hopefully, whoever comes in upholds the same standards [as Westfield],” Marshall said.

Both Westfield Valley Fair and Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco have had tremendous success by attracting customers with a mixed selection of restaurants. In 2022, Keith Isselhardt, senior vice president of leasing and eat and drink at Brookfield Properties, told SFGATE that “food continues to draw our customers” at Stonestown Galleria. 

While it’s too soon to say what the future holds for the restaurants within Westfield San Francisco Centre, it would be wise for the next property owner to invest in the mall’s food scene as other Bay Area malls have — for the sake of both the existing businesses and hungry locals like me.