American Dream's Novelty Oreo Café Shuts Down Amid Broader Mall Struggles
The American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, has lost one of its more whimsical tenants. The Oreo Café, a first-of-its-kind branded experience that opened in August 2021, has closed its doors for good, a mall spokesperson confirmed in January.
Nestled on the third floor of the IT'SUGAR candy store, opposite the Nickelodeon Universe theme park, the café launched as pandemic restrictions eased, betting on a resurgence of in-person, experiential retail. It served as a shrine to the iconic cookie, offering Oreo-infused cheesecakes, ice cream sandwiches, brownie sundaes, and specialty coffees. The space was also lined with branded merchandise, from slippers and pillows to socks and T-shirts.
Requests for comment sent to Oreo and its parent company, Mondelēz International, were not returned.
Story continues below photo gallery
The café's shutdown is not an isolated incident at the sprawling American Dream complex. The mall has faced a series of high-profile tenant disputes. Most notably, the Paradox Museum faces eviction over alleged unpaid rent and fees totaling $1.7 million—a legal battle still ongoing.
The mall's overall financial and operational health remains under scrutiny. Recent filings indicate the complex was 88% leased as of January 1. However, its occupancy rate became a central issue in a peculiar property tax case. In March 2025, a Bergen County judge ruled the mall is fully "open" to the public, rejecting the mall's argument that it wasn't truly open until achieving 100% occupancy—a standard industry experts call virtually unattainable. This ruling left the mall liable for $13 million in negotiated property tax payments.
Compounding its financial pressures, officials from eight surrounding Meadowlands towns claim the mall owes them a combined $8.6 million in similar payments.
Reader Reactions:
"It's a real shame," said Michael Torres, a food blogger from Hoboken. "My kids loved it. It was a fun, unique stop that added character to the mall. This feels like another step toward these places becoming just rows of the same generic stores."
"Frankly, I'm not surprised," commented Sarah Chen, a retail analyst. "These highly niche, single-brand experiences often struggle with long-term viability. They attract initial curiosity, but repeat visitation is hard to maintain. It points to the broader challenge American Dream faces in curating a sustainable tenant mix."
"What a waste," exclaimed David R. Miller, a frequent mall critic on local forums. "This place was a gimmick from day one, and the whole mall is a taxpayer-subsidized boondoggle. They're arguing in court they aren't 'open' while collecting rent? And now towns are missing millions? It's a failure of planning and accountability."
"It had its charm," recalled Elena Rodriguez, a college student who worked at a nearby store. "It was always busy on weekends. But maybe it was more of a novelty. Its closure makes the third floor feel a bit emptier, which is worrying for the other small shops up here."
Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.
Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @danielmunoz100, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: American Dream's Novelty Oreo Café Shuts Down Amid Broader Mall Struggles