The Pavilion Food Court in Fayette Mall was packed with hungry shoppers on Nov. 18, 1990. A soothing mix of marble, sunlight and neon, the mall’s new food court opened 11 days earlier, just in time for the Christmas shopping season. There were 12 places to eat, with offerings as varied as enchiladas and ziti. There were fast-food favorites like Arby’s, Burger King and Subway. And there are some unexpected names in the lineup, too: Tumbleweed Mexican Cafe, Cajun Joe’s Premium Chicken, and Frank ‘n Stein, which offered a variety of hot dogs, Italian sausage, kielbasa and bratwurst for less than $3. It is visible in this image, third store from the right. Click on the image for a closer look. Tumbleweed is at far left. Three food stops that opened with the food court are there today: Gold-Star Chili, Sbarro and Subway. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff

The 20,000-square-foot food court, shown here on Nov. 18, 1990, was built on the mall’s west side, where a courtyard near the movie theaters had been. It featured seating for 500 people and offered 12 restaurants; Arby’s; Burger King; Cajun Joe’s; Chao Praya, which served Oriental food; Freshens Yogurt; Gold Star Chili; Great Steak and Fry; Sbarro’s, which served pizza and Italian food; Subway; Tumbleweed Mexican Cafe; Coffee Beanery; and Frank ‘n Stein, featuring hot dogs and beer. Click here to see some other Fayette Mall photos from our archives, including an aerial image from 1967 of the 60 acres of land where the shopping center was later built. Photo by Charles Bertram | Staff