As Boscov’s Closes Its Restaurants, The Era Of Department Store Dining Further Dwindles

As Boscov’s Closes Its Restaurants, The Era Of Department Store Dining Further Dwindles

Once a standard feature of department stores, from downtown flagships to shopping mall branches, the in-store restaurant has grown scarce in recent years. Two rare surviving examples will close on Saturday. There will likely be some hugs and tears when Boscov's closes its final two restaurants, ending another chapter in retail history.  

It comes as no surprise that Boscov's held onto its restaurants as long as possible. As America's largest family-owned department store company, Boscov's is an anomaly. The Reading, Pennsylvania-based retailer operates 48 full-line department stores that feature large candy counters and sell everything from cosmetics to curtains. Its stores still offer merchandise categories that many major department stores eliminated decades ago.

The closure of its restaurants does not mean that Boscov's is going anywhere anytime soon. Its sales-per-square-foot figures far exceed industry standards and many of its fiercely loyal customers wouldn't think of shopping anywhere else.

However, the retailer's restaurants have become too costly to operate successfully. Generally, department stores never regarded their dining rooms as money makers. Most struggled just to break even. 

Boscov's decided about two months ago to close all of its restaurants by January 30. The effects of COVID-19 were the final straw. Its dining rooms were