My grandfather and my mom had restaurants in the food court. My grandfather brought a pizza from his Pizzeria across the street by MCC to the guys in the trailer on the property as the mall was being built. They Immediately offered him a spot in the food court. Papa Jay's Pizza. From 1979- 1992. My grandfather sold his spot to sabarros after my grandmother passed away. My mom owned Jay's Philly Cheese Steak across the food court from him. Both stores did VERY well and were the top places to eat while they were there. I grew up in that mall, literally. Spent more time there from such a young age and started my first job working for my grandfather at 12 at the pizza place. Our glory days. Now a lot of my family passed away but these memories I will cherish forever. I literally cried watching them take it down. Went several times over the months as it was happening. RIP Fiesta Mall. Thank you for all the wonderful times we had and to the great success we had there!!

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 күн бұрын

Thank you for sharing!

You can see the apartment complex where I lived in some of your drone shots. I used to walk over there almost every day to eat, shop, or just walk around. Before that I live in Dobson Ranch. This mall was a big part of my life for many years. I'm sad it's gone. Progress isn't always a good thing. Great drone shots.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 ай бұрын

hey thanks for sharing your story 👍

My parents used to take me here when I was little, the last time I stepped foot in this mall when I was 6 or 7, I remember the place being dark since there was not a lot of stores open anymore. Yet I didn’t know what the place was going through and that it would be abandoned and demolished years later. I would pass by the mall from time to time just watching it go from a nice shopping center, to a sad, depressing, empty mall. Great Memories

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story 🙏

Phenomenal before and after aerial shot of the mall! That's one for the history books. Very nice.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Hey thanks! once I found that old photo, I couldnt resist

The fiesta is over 😢 Great footage!

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!

I was able to explore it when I could and it was crazy the escalator start to shake while walking down it definitely would do it again but it’s torn down

In 1977-1980, I was in an LA based rock band ( Rocket88) that performed in local clubs in AZ every 6-8 weeks - I remember 1979 shopping in the "new" Fiesta Mall with my GF. I remember all the parking, entry stairways like yesterday, eerie to see it demolished today, and reminds me in 2024 Ive outlived many things !

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

yea its sad to see it gone. Thank you for sharing your story 👍

Been in Phoenix since 1990 spent a lot of time at this mall sad to see it gone, well done video, thanks.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 ай бұрын

Hey no problem, thank you for checking out the video

My father in law ran the mall for many many years. Shortly after he retired it fell apart.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

I bet he could tell some amazing stories.....Thank you for sharing 👍

I grew up near Fiesta mall. In the 80s as a teen, ide hang out there. good times, its sad to see it go

Oi practically lived here in '92-'93. I'd ride my bike from the South Mountain area in Phoenix a couple of times per week. I biked for exercise a lot back then. I drove over as well, but it was a nice bike ride back then. It was my favorite because it was clean and pretty well cared for. I always parked in the upper lot. I hadn't thought about that place in over 20 years. Thanks for bringing back some good memories. Sorry to see it go.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you 👍

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

no, thank you for checking out the video 👍

Lots of memories here. It's worth it if they develop it correctly keeping the future in mind. We will see.

My husband has many fond memories of this mall. He spent many Friday and Saturday nights here from teens to 20's. He spent more quarters at Alladin's Castle than you can count. We drove around the mall while it was being demolished. He was very sad.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

thank you for sharing your story 👍

@plupples6392

4 ай бұрын

@jessiesdroneadventures7464 thank you for the footage!

Over the 40 years I've live in the Phoenix area, I believe there's been about 10 malls that have closed and been redeveloped into open air shopping centers with independent stores, residential and business centers, etc. As for crime at the malls, none are immune.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing! lots of people are saying that the superstitions springs Mall is probably the next to go, I hope not though.....I still go there once a month for Sbarro pizza!.......Thank you for checking out the video!

I sang at Fiesta Mall with the Phoenix Boys Choir for a Christmas concert series the mall did back in the early 1990's. I grew up going to Christown and Metrocenter mostly, but I remember thinking how nice Fiesta was back then.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story 👍

Back in 2013, I worked at the Sbarro at Fiesta Mall and it was showing signs of its impending closure. There was hardly any foot traffic in the food court and the stores.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

SBARRO!!! that is my favorite pizza place! I still go to superstition springs mall at least once a month for Sbarro, and in fact, I may go there for lunch!

@GaryGeat28

4 ай бұрын

@@jessiesdroneadventures7464 Funny you mention that. I ended up transferring to the Sbarro at Superstition Springs Mall. I worked there until December of 2013 when I moved out of Phoenix.

I can't remember if it was this mall or Superstition mall that had that store in it with the dude who sold swords and other medieval weaponry. Either way the video gets this right, the area really declined in the late 1990s and 2000s which probably did Fiesta Mall no favors. I recently purchased a home in Mesa and a lot of Realtors were saying this is the next up and coming area in the East Valley.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story!

@HeckinMarble

8 күн бұрын

I think that was Superstition, but now I'm second guessing myself. It's weird reading these comments and all of these memories just rushing back.

I don’t have many memories of fiesta mall. I moved to the NW valley in 2005/2006 but had been to Fiesta Mall a few times. In addition to the channel you mentioned, which hadn’t heard of, there is “retail archaeology” that I do subscribe to that covered Fiesta downfall. There are East Vally based and grew up there but do go all over making videos.

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

I just recently started watching retail archaeology....and their channel is awesome!

I had a lot of good times going to this mall as a kid into my high school years sbarro was my favorite place to eat other than that Mexican restaurant that was across the street 1st was the hat club by the elevator then just sports to industrial which was a skate shop

@steveaustin6786

7 күн бұрын

From there to miller's outpost which transitioned into anchor blue by the stairs down to champs then athletic express up the escalator to the music shop outside Dillard's

@steveaustin6786

7 күн бұрын

I remember I'd used to grow out my throughout the winter in my 20s and couldn't find a place for a haircut as the summer came so I got desperate and got a haircut in fiesta mall outside the food court and gave me a really jacked up haircut which was the 1st and last time there

@steveaustin6786

7 күн бұрын

Hair

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

7 күн бұрын

bro!!!! Sbarro is life!!!! i still go to the one at superstition springs mall at least once a month

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

7 күн бұрын

Thanks for sharing your story 👍

I went to this mall when I was a kid with my dad a lot I only remember going to get basketball shoes at the footlocker when it was one of the only stores left and it was competent empty only me my dad and a few others. Over summer me and my friends went inside a couple of times and walked around exploring it’s super creepy but it was super fun and just crazy thinking how it used to to be full of people and one of the most popular malls and thinking of how it was then with just glass and graffiti and homeless people everywhere

@IsiahForney76

4 ай бұрын

And now how it’s demolished. Going to that mall when I was younger was so fun and Getting to Walk around and explore it was some of the most fun me and my friends had this summer sad to see it get demolished

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story 👍👍

What was the name of the restaurant outsid te west entrance?

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

7 күн бұрын

Mike & Molly's ????????

I would kill time there sometimes . It was OK , best they had to offer , on that side of town at the time , If you wanted a REAL mall , you had to make the drive to Metrocenter . Fiesta was always pretty dull ......but what do you expect from Mesa ?

Fiesta mall

I went inside so many times jesse can we be friends i do lots of exploration here

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

haha!, we can be friends!

Damn took my ex girlfriend shopping there during Christmas. We had a lot of fun.

still waiting for them to demo Metro Center

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

26 күн бұрын

I think that is set to happen in the fall

I had many good times at the Fiesta Mall throughout the years of my life. I miss the Best Buy with all of the music equipment. I even took photos with an ex from high school there in 2001 and took professional photos with my children in 2012. Nothing good lasts forever🫡👍🏼

@jessiesdroneadventures7464

4 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story 👍