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