Home of Carolina Circle Mall

Introduction

Throughout Carolina Circle Mall's life, many out-parcels opened up surrounding the mall area.

K-Mart

The mall's first major surrounding store was K-Mart, which opened soon after the mall opened in 1976.

This particular K-Mart store's design was the standard K-Mart design of the 1970's and much of those characteristics lasted until the store closed in 2002.

I'll never forget visiting that store back in the '90s and even the early '00s. I remember a distinct smell that consisted of popcorn and rubber balls. I also remember the whooshing sound of the over sized air vents combined with '80s music playing over the speakers.

Following a closure of most of the Greensboro K-Marts, the Carolina Circle Mall K-Mart closed in May 2002 and was demolished in early 2007. A Lowe's Home Improvement currently occupies the space.

By the way, if you're ever in the Piedmont Triad area and you want to check out a K-Mart that is almost identical to the Carolina Circle one, please visit the Big K-Mart on Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem. If you're like me, you will be greatly impressed.

Toys R Us

In 1985, Toys R Us opened a store directly across from Carolina Circle Mall.

Out of all the out-parcels and stores surrounding Carolina Circle Mall, this would definitely be my favorite. The inside was very colorful and stayed far away from tacky pastel colors. In fact, the four checkout booths and the front of the store were colored green, yellow, red, and blue.

I have many memories of going to this Toys R Us after school in the mid '90s.

Due to a lack of sales, Toys R Us closed in August 2002 and was demolished in May 2005.

Golden Corral

Former Golden Corral location in March 2006, currently Copa Rocka Cantina

For many years, there was a pretty interesting Golden Corral located just down the road from Carolina Circle Mall and right next door to the K-Mart.

Before it was a Golden Corral, it was several different steak houses, the names I do not know. Golden Corral moved in sometime in either the late 1980s or early 1990s.

I remember the Golden Corral fairly well. It was one of the older types, unlike the larger sized Golden Corrals of today. I'll never forget their red neon emblem on the front and the huge billboard with the strange blue emblem.

Unfortunately the food wasn't all that good. Let's just say they took food preservation to a new level by putting food items on the buffet that was leftover from the previous week.

This Golden Corral closed sometime around late 1995. Ever since then, various nightclubs have taken its place such as Lucky Seven in the late 1990s and the current Copa Rocka Cantina.