Signage inside Gotham Market West in New York City. It shows the numerous food options, the map of the facility and its ethos: "Eat. Drink. Sit wherever you want." Photo Credit: Gotham West Market
By Mark Baratelli
mark@thedailycity.com
We told you that food halls were the new trend coming to Orlando and that's already somewhat already present. With East End Market, Plant Street Market and other, we are seeing the seeds that have driven the excitement for the city's burgeoning food hall scene.
One particular food hall that started out as a rumor heard within the walls of City Hall by, well, me, received lots of attention last week.
The hall will be developed by local notable developer Craig Ustler and will be located within the downtown Creative Village project of which he is lead creative.
We had the chance to ask Ustler a few questions about his project. Below are his answers.
Why a Food Hall:
"Food halls are clearly popular and great community assets in many other urban places that I study," says Ustler. "We want what is best for the Orlando food scene and what will be unique and special for Creative Village, so that is why I think a food hall is worth studying. I also think that millennials and students like them and they serve as the type of “urban amenity” we want at Creative Village."
Current State of the Project:
No plans are concrete yet. The developer and his team are studying and analyzing, putting together the best practices and traveling the country looking at food halls.
UCF Interaction:
Ustler says "the UCF facilities... will interact with our privately developed buildings to form one campus experience." This will happen naturally due to the urban nature of the project.
The ground floor of the UCF student housing building will "have about 10,000 to 12,000 SF of restaurant, retail and/or professional service space leased to third-party tenants," says Ustler. He anticipates mostly fast casual types of restaurants. Ustler says this is what's typically found at universities located in urban areas.
Features besides food:
He feels a mix of indoor and outdoor common areas is required. This is typical of food halls. The seating is shared by all the food stalls.
The Curation Process:
In studying food halls and similar concepts around the country, he noted that curation of tenants, and figuring out how curation will operate, is key. Guests don't expect to find chains or low-quality food. It's not a food court. In fact, the curation is the largest component of a food hall that sets food halls apart from your run of the mill mall food court.
Tenants:
None have been announced, but he knows a general idea of what he wants. "So far, I have focused on local and community, meaning how can we further develop and elevate the local food scene and how can we tie into Parramore and the Valencia culinary facility that is going to be located at Creative Village," Says Ustler.
Why a Food Hall:
"Food halls are clearly popular and great community assets in many other urban places that I study," says Ustler. "We want what is best for the Orlando food scene and what will be unique and special for Creative Village, so that is why I think a food hall is worth studying. I also think that millennials and students like them and they serve as the type of “urban amenity” we want at Creative Village."
Dallas Market Food Hall (Website) has seating both indoors and out.
Current State of the Project:
No plans are concrete yet. The developer and his team are studying and analyzing, putting together the best practices and traveling the country looking at food halls.
UCF Interaction:
Ustler says "the UCF facilities... will interact with our privately developed buildings to form one campus experience." This will happen naturally due to the urban nature of the project.
The ground floor of the UCF student housing building will "have about 10,000 to 12,000 SF of restaurant, retail and/or professional service space leased to third-party tenants," says Ustler. He anticipates mostly fast casual types of restaurants. Ustler says this is what's typically found at universities located in urban areas.
Features besides food:
He feels a mix of indoor and outdoor common areas is required. This is typical of food halls. The seating is shared by all the food stalls.
The Curation Process:
In studying food halls and similar concepts around the country, he noted that curation of tenants, and figuring out how curation will operate, is key. Guests don't expect to find chains or low-quality food. It's not a food court. In fact, the curation is the largest component of a food hall that sets food halls apart from your run of the mill mall food court.
Tenants:
None have been announced, but he knows a general idea of what he wants. "So far, I have focused on local and community, meaning how can we further develop and elevate the local food scene and how can we tie into Parramore and the Valencia culinary facility that is going to be located at Creative Village," Says Ustler.
He feels the food hall needs an anchor tenant or two: a bigger restaurant (still local and unique) or a brewery. This is similar to The Plaza Food Hall. In the basement of the famed hotel, there are smaller stalls and mini suites in the middle, with a large Todd English restaurant and shop off to the side.
The rest of the Orlando space will have “stalls” and “mini suites" for smaller enterprises.
Operations:
"It will be locally focused," he says. He is certain it will not be run by a national operator.
Location:
Ustler know what he likes: Gotham West Market (Website) in NYC's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. This is how Gotham West Market describes itself:
That market is (1) at the bottom of an apartment building and (2) has a nice mix of restaurants. So like Gotham West, his food hall will be on the ground floor of a privately developed building will most likely be an apartment building in phase one of Creative Village.
The rest of the Orlando space will have “stalls” and “mini suites" for smaller enterprises.
Will he create his own restaurants? Several of the restaurants in his other downtown buildings are creations of his restaurant group, a separate arm of his company. However, it's not, at this point, his intent to fill the food hall with creations from his restaurant group. This project is not for his restaurant group. If a chef or restaurant ends up there because they went through the process the operator/curator created, it would be fine by him, but more of a coincidence than an intended outcome.
Operations:
"It will be locally focused," he says. He is certain it will not be run by a national operator.
Location:
Ustler know what he likes: Gotham West Market (Website) in NYC's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. This is how Gotham West Market describes itself:
"Home to premiere artisan vendors and restaurants with communal dining areas for groups both large and small to enjoy the market’s diverse culinary offerings."
Entrance to Gotham Market Photo Credit