What do you know about Food Halls?  The restaurants brokers say the concept - which exists in most major U.S. cities - is missing in Atlanta. 

The restaurant brokers have been talking about this idea for Atlanta for years.  Is now the time?  The Todd English Food Hall in New York at The Plaza Hotel established a precedent for a culinary adventure known as a food hall and we think it is high time Atlanta gets one.  We are totally behind the new and unique culinary experience for Atlanta and we think it belongs in the same neighborhood that the restaurant brokers call home – Castleberry Hill. 

Here's the idea -the Castleberry Hill Food Hall can provide multiple “upscale mini-restaurant” opportunities within one large space.  It's like a mall food court but MUCH more upscale and including a market aspect.  The idea of each vignette is to serve as an “upscale mini-restaurant” with shared seating.  In addition, each space can serve as a small market retail opportunity where fresh goods associated with the chef (i.e. seafood or fresh pasta), take-out from the restaurant (a la Eatzi’s) or product (cook books, aprons, etc.) can be sold. 

In addition, a Cooking Stage or Demonstration kitchen can be built into the project featuring a unique opportunity to provide tourists (via a direct tie in with the Atlanta Convention and Visitor Bureau) with cooking classes and demonstrations when visiting the town for business or pleasure. These can all be broadcast on local cable stations or on YouTube.

The Castleberry Hill Food Hall could potentially contain one additional unique element – an incubator restaurant. This element ties back goodwill and growth in the community in the establishment of one vignette as an incubator restaurant space.  Up and coming entrepreneurs will have somewhere to test their skills in a major way. The restaurant brokers always know someone who wants to start a restaurant and this would be a great starting point.

Castleberry Hill represents a unique opportunity for this project for these reasons:

AVAILABLE SPACE - Castleberry Point retail space represents a singular opportunity for a contemporary Food Hall.  More than 17,000 square feet of contiguous space opens onto a courtyard for spillover seating.  The building has dramatic 20 foot or more ceilings and a mezzanine that can function as storage or seating.

PARKING - Parking within Castleberry Point and street parking along with lots within 100 feet insure that those within walking distance from Atlanta’s premier tourist destinations such as CNN Center, Georgia Dome, Georgia World Congress Center and Phillips Arena have easy access and plentiful parking.

DESIGN - Castleberry Point is ideal for this project with its adjacency to tourist areas, overall design (mezzanine for upstairs seating or storage) and opening onto a courtyard for spillover. 

TOURISTS – The neighborhood is ideally situated nearby CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park, MARTA stations, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Dome, Downtown and more.

PROXIMITY – 15 Annual Markets at AmericasMart, the Federal Court House, Bar Association, Downtown and Major Hotels are within walking distance.

ARTIST COMMUNITY -  Named Best Neighborhood for the Arts and Home to the  “Best Neighborhood Art Walk” which occurs monthly means a built-in tourist base.

HOLLYWOOD FAVORITE – Dozens of productions film in Castleberry including The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, Driving Miss Daisy, Sweet Home Alabama & more increase visibility of Atlanta’s newest attraction.

ACCESS – Easily accessible by all major interstates – I-75, I-85 and I-20

IMAGINE….Ten Vignettes featuring

·         Italian Cuisine (selling fresh pasta, herbs, etc.)

·         Sushi (fresh prepared and packaged to go)

·         Asian offerings

·         Latin Eatery

·         Seafood (selling fish by the pound and meals)

·         Sweets ( chocolate shop, pie or bakery) to satisfy a dessert need

·         Butcher/cheese shop

·         Sandwich Specialist

·         Cooking Stage and/or demo kitchen

·         Farm to Table market

·         Incubator Restaurant space for new launches.

The restaurant brokers think this is a great concept. All it needs is an Atlanta area “known Foodie entity” to come on board and lead the way.  There’s money to be made as each “vignette” can be subleased to another great chef to build this concept.  Here’s who the restaurant brokers think would be great – do you agree? 

Kevin Gillespie, a Top Chef favorite, Alton Brown of the Food Network, Richard Blais, also a Top Chef Alum and local celebrity chef.  How about Jason Ellis, a stand out on Hell’s Kitchen or Justin Burdett who wowed the Chopped challenge?

Have some other ideas?  Post them as comments or on the restaurant brokers Facebook page.

LIKE this article?  Please Share on Facebook, Linked In or Twitter.