Food hall

A food hall is a large standalone location or department store section where food and drinks are sold.[1]

Overview

Unlike food courts made up of fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food-oriented boutiques under one roof.[2] Food halls can also be unconnected to department stores and operate independently, often in a separate building, or repurposing a building formerly used for something else.[3]

The number of food halls in the United States grew by 37% in 2016 and has spread across the country. Advocates state that it provides a third place for gathering, can function as a business incubator, and are part of a trend towards more experiential retail experiences tailored to a given community, in contrast to traditional food courts with national chains which are deemed inauthentic.[3]

The term "food hall" in the British sense is increasingly used in the United States.[4][5][6] In some Asia-Pacific countries, "food hall" is equivalent to a North American "food court", or the terms are used interchangeably. A food court means a place where the fast food chain outlets are located in a shopping mall.[7]

A gourmet food hall may also exist in the form of what is nominally a public market or a modern market hall, for example in Stockholm's Östermalm Saluhall[8] or Mexico City's Mercado Roma.

See also

• Food truck
• Hawker centre