In 2024, it finally happened. Target, the big-name box-store, finally closed its last in-store restaurant, known to many as "The Target Cafe", but was officially known as "Food Avenue Express". For many years following their introduction in 1990, these little in-store restaurants served up countless meals of comfort food, and brought endless amounts of joy to countless people, but as the 2010's wore on, more and more of these cafes were closed, in favor of Starbucks, Pizza Hut Express, or a handful of other choices, none of which captured the same charm that the Food Avenue Express's had. The Covid-19 Pandemic saw almost all of them close for good, until by 2023, all that was left was the Target Cafe inside the Target in my hometown, but when Target closed that location following the construction of a brand-new Target across town, the last Food Avenue Express closed with it. Now with everything inside the old Target store being auctioned off, I saw an opportunity to save everything I could from the last Target Cafe, and bring it all to Equestria, where I hoped to finally fulfill my childhood dream of owning a real Food Avenue Express restaurant, free from Target's influence. And now that dream will become a reality
This story is very wholesome, and contains a lot of nostalgia. Story does contain minor language at times, but is rated "E" for "Everyone"
God I miss the Target food court.
11647728
Ikr?
great story mate keep it up can't wait for the next story
11647728
Hello Bronyclone1497,
And so do I, hence the reason why I wrote this story
11647770
about Starbucks, or Pizza Hut Express inside of Target, when they already had a timeless classic that's now all but lost forever because Target got rid of the Target Cafes
Why did Target even get rid of them anyway? Who gives a flying
11647935
Hello Shining Paladin,
And I'm glad you liked the story
Someone writes an entire story about being nostalgic for the "Target Cafe" / "Food Avenue Express" in-store restaurants in Target.
Mockingbirb thinks, "I don't know if I'll be able to relate to this, but I'm glad there's a website for stories like this even if I think it seems VERY niche interest."
Mockingbirb starts reading story.
WHAT. A pony is typing on a computer keyboard, and you don't tell us any details of how this happens or how it works?
'seems niche interest,' ha. 😜
Warning: comment might or might not include spoilers, idk.
Air-breathing tourists travel LITERALLY UNDERWATER, to eat in a fast food chain restaurant they could have eaten at while staying in their home town. And to buy souvenir T-shirts that 'can only be bought at that location.'
I was somewhat doubting this story's plausibility, but now I am convinced it is realistic. I mean, tourists really do this!
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Hello Mockingbirb,
And yeah, this story is kinda niche. I wrote it to capture the nostalgia of the Target Cafe/Food Avenue Express, something from my childhood that I loved, and now has all but ceased to exist. It was either going to be the Target Cafe, or Toys R' Us, and I chose the former. (But may someday write a similar story for the latter).
And no, I decided to leave this open-ended, both as a joke to how some Ponies seem to be able to defy the Laws of Physics (some more than others), and a reference to an actual MLP episode, "The Best Night Ever", where an Earth Pony stallion named Fredric Horseshoepin was inexplicably playing the piano with just his hooves
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/9/9/93358.png
11651263
Hello Mockingbirb,
And with this whole international franchise, and the T-shirts to go with each location, I based this off of the Hard Rock Cafe franchise, of which I collect their T-shirts from each restaurant location I or my Family have been to. And I maybe should have made this a bit more clear, but these international restaurants were meant to cater those outside of Equestria who've never eaten at a Food Avenue Express before, tourists on vacation, and new cuisine, as these international locations have slightly different menu items, similar to real life restaurants in different countries. And if you think that an underwater restaurant is "unrealistic", may I direct your attention to its inspiration, the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Maldives?
media.cntraveler.com/photos/53e2f486dddaa35c30f6692f/master/w_1920%2Cc_limit/ithaa-1.jpg
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The existence of the Hard Rock Cafe, including the souvenir shirts, was part of what really sold me on this being plausible. Tourists going to an exotic place and then eating in a chain restaurant similar to what they could have found 'at home' includes both the HArd Rock Cafe and a lot more, though.
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Yeah. However, in some cases, eating at a familiar restaurant in another country can be a unique experience, as some countries have menu items that can only be found in those countries, such as McDonald's in Japan having sushi wraps, or McDonald's in Australia having a Vegemite burger for example. So it can be familiar, yet different. The same can be said for the international Food Avenue Express's, with the restaurants; each of them have menu items that're only available in that country
now i feel nostalgic because someone writes about one of my favorite food court where am i
Chapter 1 of this fiction beautifully captures the heartfelt closure of "The Target Cafe" and the protagonist's determined journey to preserve its essence in a new realm, making for a captivating and relatable read. The story's blend of nostalgia and aspiration feels like a comforting chat with an old friend.
11673596
Hello Whereami69,
And I'm gad that you enjoyed this story. I'd been considering writing an "E" Rated story for a while, but never had a good idea until recently, when I kept seeing pictures of the Target Cafe in videos of childhood nostalgia, triggering memories I'd long forgotten about, which in turn triggered my feelings towards the Target Cafe's being all but gone, and then I began to get the idea of bringing them back in Equestria, and thus was the concept for this story born
great story mate keep it up cant wait for the next chapter
Did all of this really happen in real life?
11674071
Hello Shining Paladin,
And I'm glad you liked this story, though this Epilogue is the end, for real this time. I'm not going to add anymore to it
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Hello Starlight Nova,
And yeah, I wish it did, but no. Aside from Equestria (sadly) not being real, it's still 2023, not 2024 like it is in the story, There still are a handful of Target Cafes out there, but none are near where I live at all, and the Super-Target in Lee's Summit, Missouri closed its Target Cafe, replacing it with a Starbucks years ago, to name a few things in the story that are fictional. I just wanted to write a nostalgic story to recapture a childhood memory
the greatest of tragedies, this
thank you for this backstory! it seems that it’s not only the passing of a Target Cafe that is represented here, but the passing of a bygone age that allowed for such entities that no longer survive in the present age of brand concentration
aww, i really like this moment! even without any connection to the last of the Target Cafes, i would have wanted to be there to witness the end
hell yeah! glad the ponies are in this!
gottem
that is a wonderful name for a commercial real estate agent
so true, love the fact that ponies canonically have and use two-button keyboards
do human trademarking laws even apply to Equestria?Â
hell yeah!
aww, that is what i would say if i were a Target representative! i mean, how can you not wish the best for this guy’s dream?
now that is realism!
oh wow, i remember that carpet pattern! was the Food Avenue Express a part of my childhood as well without me knowing?
aww, love that this fast food company has become a family!
well that sounds like quite a fulfilling life for this guy. good for him!
11782432
Hello Bicyclette,
And wow, this is a lot to break down, so let's get right into it
1. Yeah, it is in the story, however, this isn't true irl, as there's still a handful of Target Cafe's still out there, but literally only a few
2. You're welcome. And yeah, you're right. I didn't really think about this when I wrote the story, but you're right. So much from our childhoods no longer exist, and it's really sad
3. So would I, even though "Scar Fox" is supposed to be me
4. Well, they kinda have to be, otherwise I wouldn't be able to post this story on FIMFiction
5. Yeah. And "Andrew" is actually based on one of my rl Brothers, who I don't get along with very well. This conversation here is actually not too far off from one of our arguments irl
6. I'm glad you think so. It took me a while to come up with one, as I'm not very good with coming up with character or place names for my stories
7. Yeah, you're right. Though with this scene, I was imagining Scar's surprise came from seeing Sure Sell typing on a regular "QWERTY" keyboard
8. I'm not sure, but I decided to say that they did for this story
9. Yeah. He was fulfilling his dream, and bringing back the nostalgia
10. Yeah, you're right. Unless of course it was a Disney representative, in which case Scar would be slapped with a BS lawsuit, rather than being wished the best of luck
11. Yeah, it is
12. Yeah, me too. I still see it every now and again in places that haven't been upgraded in ages. And they were a part of mine, but back then, I didn't really care about them, as they were everywhere. I didn't really start to become interested in them until long after they were almost gone, thanks to r/Nostalgia
13. Yeah, it is really nice
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Hello Bicyclette,
And yeah, it really is. To date, Scar Fox seems to have one of the most fulfilling lives of any character I've created, right up there with Mark "Blaze" Sanders from my story "Happy Family, Happy Life"