After 18 Years This MOA Restaurant Has Closed It’s Doors

The Mall of America is losing some long-time restaurants in 2026. We first heard about Hooters closing its Mall of America location after 30+ years, and now it sounds like another long-time food staple at the big mall has closed after an 18-year run.

First Hooters, Now This?

Hooters closed up in March after a 33-year run inside the Mall of America. Hooters opened when the mall opened in August of 1992, and has been serving up wings with a side of waitress for almost 34 years.

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I saw some pictures online of a closed-up storefront area inside the mall, with the person who posted sharing that the area that was boarded up was actually the former Long John Silver's that had been a part of the mall for more than a decade.

18 Years Of Food Service

Scott Olson Getty Images

Long John Silver's closed for the final time inside the Mall of America back on April 30th. The closure was a mix of things for the restaurant, as the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal (paywall) reported that "its franchisee, Uplifted Foods LLC, struggled with high rent and subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy."

The closure of the Mall of America store also meant that Long John Silver's wouldn't have a presence inside Minnesota anymore. At one point, back in 2007, there were over 1,000 stores nationwide; now there are fewer than 400 left in just 25 states.

What Will Replace Long John Silver's?

It's unknown at this point what may replace the space formerly occupied by Long John Silver's, but I would think something similar will take its place. Maybe we get our first MOA Culver's out of it?

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