{"id":3361,"date":"2026-07-19T12:40:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T12:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3361"},"modified":"2026-07-19T12:40:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T12:40:12","slug":"44-year-old-mall-chain-steak-escape-closed-over-275-locations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=3361","title":{"rendered":"44-year-old mall chain Steak Escape closed over 275 locations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shopping malls aren’t as empty as many Americans think despite the widespread belief that online shopping has kept people at home. <\/p>\n

Read more Israel to receive more US refuelling planes as Iran attacks intensify, Israeli officials say<\/a><\/p>\n

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Americans are heading to the mall, according to the Placer.ai May 2026 Mall Index. <\/p>\n

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Foot traffic was up 2.7% year over year at indoor malls last month, 5.5% at open-air shopping centers, and 2% at outlet malls. So far in 2026, March was the only month in which foot traffic contracted.<\/p>\n

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The problem is that there are far fewer malls for American shoppers to visit.<\/p>\n

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American malls have been beset by challenges over the last decade, from the collapse of big-box stores like Sears and JCPenney to online shopping habits created by the pandemic. As of June 2025, there are fewer than 1,000 malls remaining in the United States, down from 1,200 in 2015, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n

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Fewer malls mean fewer mall food courts, and that has been news for a longtime staple of that section of the shopping center, Steak Escape. <\/p>\n

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Steak Escape has dwindled<\/h2>\n

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Steak Escape was one of the first sandwich chains to prepare all its food in front of the customers. It’s a sandwich shop that specializes in the steak and cheese sandwich, which in the company’s 1980s heyday, was more of a regional favorite in Pennsylvania and the northeast than a nationally-known item.<\/p>\n

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As a teenager growing up outside of Boston, we had sandwich shop, roast beef places, and pizza restaurants selling steak and cheese sandwiches in pretty much every town, so Steak Escape wasn’t a chain I grew up with.<\/p>\n

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In parts of the country, however, the chain introduced the popular sandwich into new markets. <\/p>\n

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Bill Church, executive director of Food Service and Retail Development for MZD Advertising was part of a 2010 attempt to revive the brand. At the time, the chain still had locations in 24 states, and three countries, according to QSR Magazine. <\/p>\n

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“Steak Escape has an absolutely dynamic menu featuring Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, a great steakburger, killer salads, fresh-cut fries, and a great baked potato,” Church told QSR. “If serving great food keeps people coming back, this is the answer. They have affordable prices and a great experience.”<\/p>\n

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Those efforts ultimately failed to reverse the chain’s long decline. It currently operates 20 restaurants across six states, according to the store locator page on its website.<\/p>\n

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Steak Escape quick facts:<\/h2>\n

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