It’s no secret that food halls have been popping up all across North America and most recently Canada. Harkening back to the era before traditional supermarkets and fast food, everything old has become new again.
We have spent the last decade traveling the world with the specific intent of discovering why this mostly European tradition has grabbed the attention of North Americans. We’ve traveled internationally visiting countless food halls and fresh markets, where we discovered the magic of these communal gathering places. Venues where good, fresh and curated food offerings is king. We’ve met with chefs and foodies, picking their brains to understand why this phenomenon has taken hold so dramatically and transformed the way we eat and socialize. We’ve discovered food halls in all shapes and sizes and grasped the charm when they do work.
From Cape Town to London and Zurich, Seville, Lisbon and Madrid,Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Munich to Berlin, and New York to Los Angeles, and many others in between, we’ve gathered intel, done our research and grazed our way through some of the most unforgettable establishments, all in the name of food. What we’ve found is that they are the result of a creative and curated process….a
Our team has been involved in conceptualizing food halls across the country for the past 7 years. Fast forward 6 years and finally our first customized food hall, Queen Street Fare, opened its doors in the financial district in downtown Ottawa, on December 7th.
Queen Street Fare is 10,000 SF, fully licensed and includes a stage for live music, performances
The tenant mix was curated by our development team, led by Taylor Borg executing an
When we first started working with Bentall Kennedy on
We had scoured the city and discovered that there was an amazing pool of talented local operators– each unique in their own right. We started brainstorming with the team and most importantly with the local players. We talked not only about what they
The idea for the stage and bar was borne out of the collaboration with Bar Robo, where the conversations started with the coffee counter and morphed into a discussion about the lack of venues for events in the city, which is where Bar Robo came in. We had our bar and entertainment component! This we felt was crucial to bringing life to the building not only Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm but extending the hours into the evening and weekends as well.
The process was organic and fluid, one of discovery not only of what existed in the city but what could be created by tapping into the local talent. We were fortunate enough to be engaged in a process which included collaboration with the landlord, management team, designers and t
Thank you and a big shout out to all who believed, participated, collaborated and helped us execute! See you at Queen St. Fare!
Queen St. Fare designed by @iron.ivory
