The mall food court isn't just a place to grab a quick bite to eat while you do some shopping or catch a movie with your bestie. It's now the place where restaurant franchise are born. Well, they aren't exactly born there, but they're certainly tested there.

If you think about it, it's the perfect place to test out a concept. There's (usually) plenty of foot traffic and most malls won't let two similar businesses in the food court. So you wouldn't see two big burger brands battle it out side by side. It would be one or the other...or neither if your burger brand is lucky enough to edge out the big names.

 And, the foot traffic we mentioned isn't just reliable, it often grows year-over-year and can increase based on the season, special holiday and for promotions that the mall (or other vendors in the mall) is putting on.

So are we saying that every mall is a good fit for a QSR? Not exactly. There are lots of things a quick-serve or fast-casual brand should know before it commits itself to a mall or food court location. These include:

The Costs: Some malls are more expensive than others - and rightly so. You may not want to test your new fast-casual concept in a mall whose prices are double that of other malls.

The Habits: Where do most people enter and exit the mall? Is your prospective food court location tucked in a corner out of site? Is the location next to the bathroom? These are all things you'd want to know prior to locking down a site.

Why did the last tenant leave: Is there something wrong with the space physically? Is it too big, too small or does it have some other physical attribute that makes it a no-go? What stores are nearby? If your brand appeals to families and there are family-oriented stores near the location, it may be a good fit. Likewise if your brand targets adults, a location next to a toy store might not be the best choice.

Depending on your brand, you may also want to consider a kiosk in the mall. Maybe you don't need a full-on space with a kitchen to sell your pretzels that only require re-heating, etc. Speaking of hot, you'll also likely do some sweating of your own during the slow season(s). Every mall has them, and you should be prepared for them. That might mean planning for promotions that drive traffic to your location or working with mall management to be a part of any mall-wide promotions they're having.

There's almost always a way to increase traffic. You just need to be creative about it. With that being said, if you're scratching your head, trying to make ends meet during busy season, the slow seasons won't be the best of times for your brand. There may be some months where you're happy to break even, but the busy months (typically November and December) should make up for it. If they don't, head back to the drawing board and reconsider your strategy.

Keep in mind, just about every mall food court operator has one pool of customers they can count on - other mall employees. Do what you can to entice them - give them a discount, or whatever you have to do. They're easy to market to, and many shoppers are keen to note where mall employees eat - taking that as a subtle "nod of approval" since, if anyone knows the best place to eat in the mall, it's the people who work there, right?

Got a favorite mall when it comes to food courts? Let us know in the comments.