Stanford Shopping Mall is planning to replace the recently-closed student- and family-favorite Fresh Choice restaurant with a non-food retailer in a similar customer appeal range, according to Jennifer Halloway, director of marketing for the mall.
This puts end to speculation that the shopping center is planning to replace Fresh Choice with a higher-end eatery.
“The replacement for Fresh Choice will not be a food retailer, and it won’t be higher end,” Halloway said. Halloway stated “leasing reasons” as the cause for the replacement.
The issue became a minor cause when members of the Palo Alto/Menlo Park Mother’s Club launched a phone and email protest to the supposed change to a higher-end establishment.
Students, too, are unhappy with Fresh Choice Closing. “I’m so sad,” senior Stephanie Hsi said. “I have great memories of there [Fresh Choice] from way back when!”
As one of the mall’s primary purveyors of cheaper food, Fresh Choice will be missed for its value-priced meals. “I am disappointed there is no more cheap food at Stanford [Shopping Mall],” sophomore Alex Ji said.
Fresh Choice’s easy accommodation of large groups will be missed as well. “It [Fresh Choice] was a nice gathering place and the food was pretty good,” senior Enzo Njoo said. “Now there’s no venue like that nearby.”