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Chain restaurants are feeling the pinch as consumers seek a healthier, more diverse offering. Introducing food halls - the future of casual dining, giving guests the opportunity to try different cuisines, whilst soaking up an authentic atmosphere. With the option to eat, drink and wander at your own leisure, a food hall can make for a great day out for guests. Why not indulge in a starter, main and dessert at different stalls? Equally, with most food halls being situated in urban areas, guests can grab and go on their lunch break, selecting from a choice of wholesome food with more variety than your regular fast food joint.
One thing that sets food halls apart from other types of operators is the personal service that guests receive. Guests can actually watch their food being prepared, and with stalls often run by the owners themselves, importance is naturally placed on the guest experience, with an undoubtable passion for what they’re selling. Not only serving up a selection of great food, many food halls host other types of traders, some even have children’s play areas, making for a social hub - an exciting experience compared to your average trip to the shopping centre.
Often situated in old buildings, these instagrammable spaces add to the charm and atmosphere, whilst boosting brand value for operators, attracting millennials on the hunt for unique experiences. Food halls also cut capital costs and long leases for operators, perfect for budding start-ups who want to test their creations on consumers. Ideal for today’s consumer on search for local, sustainable produce.
A great success story comes from award winning Altrincham Market in Manchester. Once named a ghost town after high business rates saw empty shops, the addition of the food market has turned the area into a very up and coming one, with locals and visitors alike bringing business to the local shops and community. After creating such a buzz, the owners Nick Johnson and Jenny Thompson have since invested in Manchester’s old Smithfield Market and re-launched it as Mackie Mayor, hosting a few sister traders from Altrincham, serving 10,000 guests a week, also proving extremely popular.
