Willis St food hall open for business
A Wellington courtyard once hidden behind earthquake-prone buildings has been transformed into bustling hub for foodies.
Press Hall, which features food from well-known Wellington restaurants such as Tommy Millions, Dragonfly, and Fratelli, opened for business yesterday.
First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson said food halls were ‘‘very much the future of hospitality’’ around the world.
The laneway and courtyard are part of a $10 million redevelopment of 85-year-old Community House, which began in late 2015.
Early in 2016, property developer and engineer Maurice Clark’s construction firm, McKee Fehl, demolished a two-storey building at 78 Willis St, to make way for the laneway and courtyard.
He also wanted to improve pedestrian access to the five-storey Intergen building, which was originally the press hall for The Evening Post.
Wilkinson said food halls were becoming increasingly common in large, character spaces in inner cities around the globe.
In London alone, there were a number of major developments under way with food halls as their anchor, he said.
Clark said Press Hall would have 12 eateries of ‘‘high quality and standard’’, including a bar overlooking Willis St that would be run by the owners of Hanging Ditch. ‘‘It’s not a typical food court,’’ he said.
The concept of Press Hall drew parallels with food halls in Ponsonby, Auckland, and in Melbourne and Perth, he said.
‘‘I think it’s fairly international, this concept of eating quality food, a little bit on the run.’’
Wilkinson said Clark’s development had ‘‘finally been able to realise a characterful and lightfilled inner courtyard that lay hidden behind buildings facing Willis St for generations’’.
‘‘This format of vendors enables diners to graze, particularly suiting busy urban lifestyles and diverse tastes. And with a high concentration of office workers, residents, tourists and students in this area, we believe Press Hall will become a popular and enduring destination,’’ he said.
"It's not a typical food court." Maurice Clark