Food halls cannot open as fast as food trucks, but they do share common threads in amping up local fare, focusing on authenticity and being the concept of the moment.

HEAD 1 Head 2

Deck

Byline

By Amelia Levin

24 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 Are Food Halls the New Food Trucks?

FEBRUARY 2018 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • 25 Food Halls

For up-and-coming chefs and restau- rateurs looking to expand or test new concepts, food halls offer a low barrier to entry, a built-in facility and brand- ing support. On top of all that, food hall locations tend to provide a customer-grabbing catch-all from surrounding business districts or urban areas with high traffic, especially during the lunch hour. Hmm, sound familiar? The food hall story mirrors the biography of food trucks in many ways, albeit on a much grander scale. Food halls — much like the food truck phenomenon — continue to bedazzle not only the foodie patrons of today but also the designers, equipment suppliers and operators they attract. Spurred by the early pioneers of the food hall concept, like Eataly in New York and, later, Latinicity and Revival Food Hall in Chicago, count- less food halls continue to open around the country. Expect more this year. High-traffic barometers and a food-is- everything approach form the basis for the modern-day food hall success story. “Food halls are becoming the new anchor tenants of malls, retail spaces and downtown districts because of the number of people they attract,” says Jack Gibbons, president of The Food Hall Co., which opened Legacy Hall in Plano, Texas. The 55,000-square-foot property features 22 stalls and 7 bars. Two years of planning and development went into Legacy Hall before the doors officially opened in December 2017. Chicago continues to see new food hall concepts emerge. The lineup in- cludes Forum 55, which opened in late 2017; Wells St. Market, set to open in 2018; and Lakeview Market, sched- uled to open in the summer of 2018. Investors seem willing to continue to back these types of places. Wells St. Market, for example, is a project from Alvarez & Marsal Property Investments and Ameritus Real Estate Investment

26 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 EACH LOCAL CHEF AT LEGACY HALL IN PLANO, TEXAS, OPERATES AN OPEN-KITCHEN CONCEPT IN A MERE 400 SQUARE FEET, OR LESS. DESIGNERS ORGANIZED THE STALLS INTO QUADRANTS TO BALANCE HEAVY COOKING AND HVAC NEEDS.

FEBRUARY 2018 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • 27 Food Halls

consistent footprint and operators don’t have to cover the largest expenses, like seating and bathrooms. They are an extremely cost-efficient way to gain exposure to new customers, especially for young companies like ourselves.” Some might also call these food halls the new food courts, helping breathe new life into lifestyle centers and corporate office buildings. Cover- ing all dayparts, food halls tend to bring fresher, more fun and flavorful offer- ings and take consumers far beyond the basic burger or heat lamp pizza slices of food courts in years past. These con- cepts also — you guessed it — cater to younger Millennial and Gen Z crowds, although diners of all ages will line up to try them. George Chen, creator, co-founder, and executive chef for China Live in San Francisco, describes today’s food halls as the antithesis of yesterday’s food courts, where cheap, fast food dominated. Food halls, he believes, elevate cuisine instead of cheapening it. “Developers know that consum- ers — especially Millennials — are more about the overall experience than simply about buying commoditized products and services,” says Chen. “Food halls show people where the food comes from and how it’s made. At China Live, we’re showing real Chinese cooking in so many ways that really entice people and offer a better understanding of a popular and great cuisine.” Newer versions of food halls swap REVIVAL FOOD HALL OWNERS Management. Traditional business and out old-school fast-food chains for new MADE A POINT TO CONSIDER industry (B&I) operators are also in the concepts that position top chefs and HOW THE FACILITY COULD game, like Compass Group’s Eurest restaurants at the forefront. Some allow ACCOMMODATE BOTH WEEKDAY division, which funded the transfor- consumers to purchase food at differ- BUSINESS CROWDS AND WEEK- mation of a food court in a Chicago ent stalls or stations, while other halls, END BRUNCH-GOERS. AS A skyscraper into Forum 55. like Latinicity, follow a more classic RESULT, FLATTOPS THAT COOK “Food halls are absolutely becoming cafeteria-style method of service, allow- BURGERS ON A MONDAY MAY a growing segment, gaining popular- ing patrons to pick out different foods TRANSFORM INTO AN EGG ity amongst operators and consumers,” at different stations and pay for them at STATION ON SUNDAY. says Kevin Corsello, founder and CEO, a central cashier station. Pork & Mindy’s at Forum 55, and Naturally, food halls introduce a Elevate Food Hall in Minneapolis. unique set of equipment and design “With so many restaurants opening considerations, often forcing stall and closing, food halls offer a low-risk operators to whittle down their menu and investment, as they typically have a work with limited space and ventilation.

28 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 CONCEPT COLLABORATION FOOD HALL TAKEAWAYS FOR Not just anyone can set up shop in a E&S PROFESSIONALS food hall, point blank. In some cases, ●● Seek basic, flexible equipment like flattops, convection or rapid-speed ovens and the food hall operator will reach out to possibly combi ovens. existing independent restaurants, food ●● If using specialty equipment like smokers, make this the primary equipment piece trucks or other up-and-coming busi- and make sure ventilation is adequate. Consider adjacencies and positioning near nesses to create a dynamic portfolio. In operators with similar HVAC needs. other cases, the operator might call on ●● Work with operators to tailor their menus to just one or two items to improve local chefs to develop menus for stalls speed of service and throughput. unique to that food hall. Finally, some ●● Build out each station with enough prep space and undercounter refrigeration — food halls, like Eataly and Latinicity, use shared kitchen space in food halls may be small, cramped and busy or even nonexistent. a team of chefs to create multiple points ●● Consider dual-performing pieces like refrigerated prep lines that can hold hot or for food offerings under one roof. cold items in the flip of a switch. “Since food halls are relatively new, operational expertise is critical for suc- cess as it is a lot more complicated than CONSTRUCTION authentic, real ways in designed sur- operating just a restaurant,” says Chen. CONSIDERATIONS roundings that capture the emotion of the “Established developers who try to just fit a What makes a facility right for a food customer. In my opinion, the space has to bunch of disparate concepts will likely fail.” hall? Is it the nature of the physical space, be an Instagrammable kind of place.” In many cases, operators pare down location, proximity to public transporta- The building for Revival Food the menu to just a couple popular items tion or a combination of all the above? Hall was chosen in part because of its to maintain speed of service, throughput “Physical planning is critical,” says easy-access entry points on each of the and profitability. Chen. “It must showcase cuisine in building’s four sides. All doors feed in

SHARING INSPIRATION FOR THE HEART OF THE TABLE. New Grove from Hall China. A collection of small platters, trays, and plates to elevate your plating and inspire sharing.

800-452-4462 | www.hlcdinnerware.com Food Halls

and out of Chicago’s busy office district. Each restaurant’s position, sometimes keep the airflow even throughout the Latinicity backs up to one of the city’s called a station or stall, within a food space. The team also added more daily elevated train stations. And in Denver, hall must include efficiencies in design, deliveries for food and wood to accom- the food hall at Zeppelin Station rests at Gibbons says. “You have to think about modate the shortage of storage space. the foot of a light rail station; designers the limited range of motions, fixed All the prep work happens at each even built in a bar modeled after amount of storage and cooler space, and individual stall, which all include their European rail stations for patrons to understand the menu and then build the own prep tables and sinks. grab a drink before the ride. kitchen around that,” he says. Stations tend to focus on one or two Many food halls capitalize on ad- Some food halls avoid a lot of shared main pieces of equipment. At Revival, ditional restaurants or other outlets space and opt to have each station run as Smoque uses one powerhouse smoker for attached to the main food hall as a way its own concept to avoid potential bottle- its barbecue items; Union Squared uses to drive even more traffic throughout necks, crowding and other confusion. a couple of double-deck, durable pizza the day and night. China Live features “We like to have control over every sta- ovens for its Detroit-style pizza, and Fat a separate fine-dining restaurant, Eight tion, bar and space so we don’t have those Shallot had to nix its fryers to make room Tables, in addition to the main food problems,” Chen says. “In that case, we for a better flattop and less ventilation. hall. At Legacy Hall, The Box Garden operate more like Eataly than Gotham Equipment selections can also pave will open this spring as a connected West Market.” the way for food halls to capitalize on music venue and entertainment space The idea is to look for synergies multiple dayparts and different types of with bars and restaurants made entirely — or create them — among opera- revenue streams. For example, a morn- out of shipping containers that span tors through central ventilation, trash ing coffee program can double as a bar 18,000 square feet. The food hall also pickup and maintenance, shared office/ later at night. That means considering includes an attached brewery. prep space and other systems. The goal flexible equipment, rotating storage or The decision to position the Legacy is to accommodate the needs of many, shelving components, and other plug- Hall brewery on the third floor of the regardless if each stall or station is a and-play adaptations. building, given its heavy beer-making separately run business or just a sepa- At Revival, weekend brunch service equipment, posed obvious challenges. rate concept under the same umbrella. forced some vendors to develop their Engineers had to ensure the ceilings menus around the equipment they had could handle the weight, and then all EQUIPMENT in place. Flattops normally used for the equipment and furnishings had to SELECTION burgers and sandwiches, for instance, ascend to the third floor via a crane. At both China Live and Legacy Hall, might transform into an egg station. Legacy Hall’s owners felt it was worth each station is built as an open kitchen Technology plays a key role in the hassle to keep the food hall — the and meant for food theater, says execution. Most food halls use a one- highest-traffic portion of the busi- Gibbons. “You want to see the cook- size-fits-all centrally operated ordering, ness —positioned near the entry to the ing happening everywhere.” Therefore, POS and data-mining program. That facility. The brewery then complements design and equipment selection at each means each stall uses the same system to the main revenue driver. station or stall remains critical. take and process orders or record them At Legacy Hall, each local chef or on plastic cards, much like a credit card, FAST FLOW startup business has 400 square feet provided to customers who want to shop Most food halls capitalize on the or less of space. Given those tight around before paying all at once. workweek lunch rush first, followed by quarters, design, flow and efficiencies Legacy Hall worked with a third- breakfast and happy hour/early evening. are everything. Naturally, equipment party delivery program in Texas to “You figure people have 45 minutes or selection might need to be pared down process online orders. “It’s great for less to get something to eat during their or at least chosen with flexibility — and both of us because they can pick up lunch hour, and then they’ll want to linger certainly durability — in mind. multiple orders at a time,” says Gib- longer after work, so we had to think “We did incorporate live wood cook- bons. “In our business and in our about how the food hall would transition ing, so we had to install special ventilation thinking, third-party vendors and the from day to night,” says Bruce Finkelman, and look at the impact of 20 stalls cook- ease of people being able to order co-owner of Revival Food Hall. ing at one time and how that impacts the from home is the way of the future.” Chen and his team also focused on whole building,” Gibbons says. As the food hall trend continues to flow. “We even took down an adjacent Designers organized the stalls into sweep through the nation, it’s all hands building because the flow in the space quadrants, balancing operators’ heavy on deck. And those hands need to work didn’t work as just a simple box struc- cooking and HVAC needs with bars or together to produce what remains a com- ture,” he says. other low-level HVAC operations to plex, multitiered type of project.

30 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 Food Halls

Case Study: B&I Servery Goes Food Hall The transformation from cafeteria to Forum 55. By Amelia Levin

32 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 Thanks You Case Study: B&I Servery Goes Food Hall

n a marked departure from the typical B&I servery of the past de- Icade, Eurest transformed its former cafeteria on the concourse level of the 50-story Mid-Continental Plaza into a 7,000-square-foot, chef-driven food hall showcasing popular independent con- cepts from around the city. Open to the public, Forum 55 not only draws office workers from the building but also those from nearby hotels, locals, and visitors perusing Millennium Park and the Art Institute of Chicago across the street. “We wanted to offer downtown workers and visitors more delicious and convenient options for lunch,” says Jim Kallas, Eurest division president. “This is an opportunity to partner with some great restaurants in the city, offering them a central location To all the fi rst responders, in downtown Chicago.” To recruit their family and friends that vendors, Eurest reached out to some selfl essly give of themselves independents in the city and was ap- proached directly by others. day after day, the Salvajor “Surprisingly minimal changes Company would like to say were needed to redesign the space,” Thank You. No words seem Kallas says. “A lot of changes were adequate to express our more cosmetic in nature, such as Edison bulbs throughout to give it a admiration and gratitude for soft glow. Designers also brightened the brave men and women up the space with white subway tiling, who run towards danger to a lighter-colored ceiling and bright wood floors.” help others. With 10 different vendors, patrons can choose between ramen, sushi and poke bowls from Friends Ramen; bar- For more information becue from Pork & Mindy’s; grass-fed on Salvajor products burgers and sandwiches layered with contact us today. craft meats from Butcher & Larder Grill; tacos from Mercadito Taqueria; pizzas and pierogis from Flo & Santos; #1 in Food Waste Solutions and more. A mixture of high-top and traditional seating make up the 270

FEBRUARY 2018 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • 33 salvajor.com • (800) SALVAJOR Food Halls

seats throughout the space. Silver, red and black chairs add pops of color to the space. During the a.m. rush, the Prelude sta- tion offers build-your-own omelets, break- fast sandwiches, hash and sides as well as locally roasted coffee from Sparrow. Forum 55 also houses The Apron Exchange, a business incubator for minority-owned start-ups; a rotating pop-up restaurant concept; a market- place; and what Eurest claims to be one of Chicago’s largest salad bars, called The Community Garden. The 24-foot- by-7-foot serving island features fresh produce, composed salads, soups, hummus and more made with seasonal foods sourced directly from Midwest- ern farmers. The salad bar’s wood and stone accents help create a natural, earthy appearance. At the Monroe Street Market, patrons can choose among grab-and-go items like fresh pastries and donuts in the morning, sandwiches and salads in the afternoon, and all-day snacks, again featuring locally sourced foods. There are also items from restaurant partners, like pickles from Local Foods and bar- becue sauce from Pork & Mindy’s. In a concept unique to Forum 55, a pop-up restaurant stall showcases a different global menu each week. Eurest Regional Executive Chef Joel Cooper creates items like build-your-own masala rice bowls, bibimbap, superfood-packed Earth bowls, pasta and noodle creations. Patrons use a high-tech ordering system to place their orders online or at various kiosks located throughout the space, which sends the order to the individual stations. By opting in via LOCATED INSIDE A CHICAGO text messaging, customers can sit with SKYSCRAPER, FORUM 55 TRANS- friends until their food is ready, rather FORMED THE FORMER CAFETERIA than stand in line. SPACE INTO A UNIQUE FOOD HALL THAT DRAWS BOTH OFFICE WORK- “Not only does this system cut down ERS FROM THE BUILDING AND on crowding around the various stalls, it LOCALS. THE OPERATION FEA- also allows busy office workers, who may TURES 10 DIFFERENT VENDORS, only have a half an hour to eat, more free INCLUDING PORK AND MINDY’S, time to relax and socialize,” says Kallas. WHICH FEATURES CELEBRITY “In fact, through the online ordering CHEF JEFF MAURO’S SLOW- system, customers can order up to three SMOKED MEATS. days in advance for their food.”

34 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018 Vendor Advice Two food hall veterans outline key factors for success.

By Amelia Levin Andrew Gruel Kevin Corsello

ndrew Gruel, chef and CEO of fast-casual seafood Ask about marketing support. What is the food hall concept Slapfish, vegan-friendly Butterleaf and offering in terms of marketing and publicity support? AJidori-chicken focused Two Birds, faced some unique Without enough support, it’s easy for brands to get lost in challenges when first expanding into a food hall. In similar the crowd of concepts under one roof. fashion, Kevin Corsello, founder and CEO of Pork & Mindy’s Still, some brand awareness is already built in with the at Forum 55, learned a lot from his experience entering the food hall. “While some food halls bring a smaller footprint, food hall arena. They offer some sage advice that operators they still generate awareness and introduce the brand to an and their support teams should take into consideration when entirely new group of customers, who may never have heard deciding whether to enter into a food hall agreement. of us without visiting the food hall,” says Corsello. Consider the location. Many food halls operate in Inquire about rent structures and facility maintenance. high-traffic business districts meant to draw busy workweek Some landlords offer rent on a sales percentage basis, rather crowds. This serves as a double-edged sword: great during than just a flat fee for all, which can hurt concepts with the week but not so much on the weekends. “When you see inconsistent weekly sales. Also, ask if the landlord offers the population drop off suddenly, the food hall concepts are cleaning and equipment maintenance services. These added being cannibalized because you have a dozen concepts try- costs may not be ones that an up-and-coming food hall brand ing to fight for $16 worth of business,” says Gruel. He also can handle. stresses the importance of studying the demographics in the proposed area to ensure they line up with your concept. Kevin Corsello, founder and CEO of Pork & Mindy’s at Forum 55, also heavily considered location before venturing High Temperature Ducting into the food hall business. “We seek high-traffic, corporate neighborhoods such as the Chicago Loop and downtown Minneapolis,” he says. “These areas are full of employees Grade 444 Stainless Steel seeking convenient, quality options for breakfast and lunch. We also want to see other high-quality, chef-driven concepts become a part of the food hall, as we have a certain brand standard to uphold.” Pare down the menu. When Gruel first opened Butterleaf, his vegetable-friendly restaurant, in a food hall in Irvine, Calif., he admits he started with too many items. “I would stick to one or two items on the menu so you can have just one or two primary cooking vessels and maintain really high volume, speed of service and quick throughput in a short period of time,” he says. Corsello says Pork & Mindy’s did not alter the menu for its food hall locations but rather chose to stick to a few, al- Plug & Play Ventilation ready popular smoked and barbecue items. At the same time, the team continually tests possible future items. “We use our 25 Year Warranty Easy to Install flagship Wicker Park neighborhood restaurant in Chicago to experiment with new menu items, as we have already built a loyal customer base,” he says. “Our executive chef and Food Powered Exhaust* Easy to Clean Network star Jeff Mauro spearheads our menu develop- *on Rotator ovens ment, so as you can imagine, our standards are very high. Enjoy continuous peace of mind with our Once the new items receive approval from our customers and new integrated ventilation system. team, we roll them out in our food hall locations.” MARRAFORNI.COM FEBRUARY 2018 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • 35 [email protected] | 888.239.0575 Food Halls

New Food Halls A look at a handful of new food halls already seeing much success. By Amelia Levin

Zeppelin station, Denver Opened in December 2017, Zeppelin Station spans a 100,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified building in Denver’s artsy-industrial RiNo district. It includes shared office space as well as more. Illuminated primarily by natural China Live’s setup a culinary concourse with various street light, the bright and energetic space includes four main counters surround- food vendors, multiple bar concepts and includes a mix of communal seating, ing a large communal a full-service anchor restaurant. Chef- shared bar tables and intimate ban- seating area. Custom driven vendors include Aloha Poke; Fior quettes as well as an outdoor patio. cookware was shipped in from China to sup- Gelato; Vinh Xuong Bakery; Au Feau, port the traditional serving Montreal-style bagels and Cana- China Live, ethic cuisine. dian poutine; Namkeen, serving Indian San Francisco street snacks; Injoi Korean Kitchen; and Restaurateur George Chen partnered taurant focused on dim sum and Chinese more. The space also includes a pull-up with notable design firm AvroKo to open barbecue; and, most recently, Eight bar inspired by European rail stations a 30,000-square-foot, multiple-floor food Tables, an intimate fine-dining restau- for those looking to catch a quick drink hall in San Francisco’s Chinatown last rant modeled after the exclusive dinners before catching the train. To reduce in- year. The expansive space includes multi- served at Chinese chateaus. door water demand, the building features ple street food stations with food inspired water-efficient flow and flush fixtures. by the cuisines of China and Thailand. Blossom Plaza’s Additionally, 70 percent of total energy Four counters surround the walk-in- Potluck, Los Angeles costs will be offset through the purchase only seating space, each dedicated to a Once a transit-oriented apartment of green power for a minimum of the different style of cooking: barbecue and community in downtown Los Angeles, first two years of operation to reduce the grilling, wok and seafood, dumpling the nearly two-acre development is building’s carbon footprint. and dim sum, and dessert, supported by being built out as Potluck. It’s evolving a shared back kitchen area. Sparing no into a curated mix of dining and enter- Aventura Mall Treats expense, custom cookware was shipped tainment options created by partners Food Hall, Miami in from China, including a traditional Joey Ngoy, Tsz Chan, and other restau- Opened in late 2017 by real estate giant green ceramic slow cooker cauldron rateurs and chefs, and backed by Forest development firm Turnberry As- used for curing meats and boiling soups. City Realty Trust Inc. Set to open this sociates, Treats Food Hall resides Additional pieces include custom-made spring, the food hall will feature six on the third level of Aventura Mall’s dumpling pans, flanked by glowing cop- restaurants, offering everything from 315,000-square-foot expansion wing. It per counters, tables and chairs made from fried chicken to Hawaiian garlic shrimp features a collection of nearly a dozen reclaimed Northern Chinese elm, and and more than 30 different empanadas. local and national eateries, including a ceiling displaying Chinese characters. Songbird will be a coffeeshop by day Miami’s first Figs by Todd English, China Live also houses Oolong Café, a and cocktail lounge by night, and LA Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack, Luke’s grab-and-go tea and pastry outlet; Bar Wine will feature single vineyard wines Lobster, GOGO Fresh salads, ZUUK Central, serving food and drinks; Market and craft beer selections created by up- Mediterranean Kitchen, Poké 305 and Restaurant, a 120-seat full-service res- and-coming producers. FE&S

36 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • FEBRUARY 2018