From Food Court Staple to Destination: GoTo Foods Bets on Reinventing Mall Brands
The familiar scent of warm cinnamon rolls or soft pretzels has long been a serendipitous reward for weary mall shoppers. Now, the parent company behind those iconic smells wants you to seek them out on purpose.
In an exclusive interview, Omer Gajial, the new CEO of GoTo Foods, outlined a fundamental shift for the company's portfolio. The mission: to evolve brands like Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, and Jamba from impulse-driven food court stops into destinations worthy of a deliberate trip. This pivot comes as the traditional mall ecosystem, which once provided a steady stream of captive customers, continues its protracted decline.
"The challenge and the opportunity are the same," Gajial told us. "For years, these brands thrived on location alone. Today, we must build the brand equity to drive the visit, not the other way around." Gajial, who joined GoTo in December after serving as Chief Digital Officer at Albertsons, draws a clear line within the company's holdings. Brands like Moe's Southwestern Grill and McAlister's Deli already operate largely as destination businesses with standalone locations and catering. The rest of the portfolio faces a more urgent need for reinvention.
The backdrop is stark. Anchor store closures, rising vacancies, and a sustained consumer shift toward e-commerce and open-air centers have eroded mall foot traffic for years. The pandemic acted as an accelerant, cementing new habits around convenience and digital ordering. For brands built on the "sweet smell" strategy, fewer shoppers lingering means fewer automatic sales.
Gajial's plan hinges on three interconnected levers: location strategy, customer experience, and technology. While airports, transit hubs, and campuses will remain key for discovery, the goal is to convert that first encounter into repeat business. This involves creating spaces where customers want to stay—through refreshed seating, inviting signage, and an atmosphere that encourages socialization. Menu innovation will focus on "bite-sized" offerings and expanded snack options to capture new occasions without diluting brand identity.
On the tech front, GoTo is consolidating systems to streamline operations and reward loyalty, but Gajial emphasizes a measured approach. "We're focused on controlled experiments, not gimmicks," he said, indicating cautious testing of new AI or agent-driven tools before any wide-scale rollout.
Industry analysts see the strategy as a necessary gamble. "The model they should look to is early-era Starbucks," said Mike Perry, founder of creative agency Tavern. "It became a third place. Most fast food isn't built that way now, but food courts in the 80s and 90s were literally for loitering. If they can encourage that in a brand-led way, that's how they'll win." Perry warned against reactive pivots, like introducing health-focused items that might confuse the core brand promise, arguing the destination must first and foremost be a compelling hangout spot.
The success of this transition is far from guaranteed. Failure could leave brands in an awkward middle ground—no longer a convenient treat nor a compelling reason to detour.
Voices from the Food Court
David Chen, Retail Analyst at Horizon Insights: "This is a textbook case of adaptive brand management. GoTo isn't abandoning the mall, but they're wisely decoupling their fate from it. The focus on experience over pure convenience is the right long-term play in a crowded market."
Marcus Johnson, Franchise Owner (Auntie Anne's), Dayton, OH: "I'm cautiously optimistic. Our sales in lifestyle centers are already stronger than in traditional malls. If corporate can provide the tools to make my store a community spot, not just a kiosk, I'm all for it."
Lisa Rodriguez, Food & Culture Blogger: "Let's be real. This feels like a desperate attempt to polish relics. You can't 'experience-ify' a cinnamon roll you eat walking to your car. They're trying to manufacture nostalgia for a mall culture that's already dead. Invest in better food, not better seating."
Professor Arjun Mehta, Urban Consumer Behavior, Kellogg School: "The 'third place' theory is sound, but execution is everything. These brands have deep-seated perceptions to overcome. It will require consistent, localized efforts—a one-size-fits-all remodel won't suffice."
As GoTo Foods scales localized experiments—from university partnerships to in-store SMS campaigns—the industry will be watching. The central question remains: can intentionality be engineered for brands born from impulse? The answer will determine whether these snack icons can carve out a new future beyond the mall's echoing corridors.