New gastronomic hotspots in the Urban space. Food courts in Poland

Abstract

Shopping centres occupy an increasingly important position in urban society and visits to them have become part of residents’ lifestyles. Most malls contain not only shops, but also restaurants, bars and cafés. This chapter looks at the development of gastronomy services in these centres in terms of both the external context (the shopping centre in urban space) and the internal context (how establishments are distributed within centres). Taking the example of Warsaw, changes in the number of eating establishments in the biggest shopping centres are shown between 2001 and 2017. The chapter also considers the negative impact on restaurants and bars located outside malls, which lose business because consumers visit them less frequently.