NEW FOOD HALL MAY BE FIRST OF MANY
A plan to create a food hall in Cape Town underscores the global rise of the theme
Food halls are more popular than ever, buoyed by the global obsession with food culture, celebrity chefs and cooking shows.
Now one of the first dedicated artisanal food halls in the country is set to open early this year, in Cavendish Square in Cape Town.
The owners of the new space (where Edgars used to be) have spent months assessing which model would work best.
“There is no one-size-fits-all,” says Campbell Stevenson, the MD of The Chefs Foodhall, who has looked to some of the best food halls around the world for inspiration.
The 2,000m² space in Claremont will have space for 400 seats and an array of options run by the Chefs team, like the successful Eataly concept that started in Turin in Italy, and has opened in cities around the world from New York to Tokyo and Moscow.
Stevenson is somewhat different to the average restaurateur. He was once a hedge fund manager, and left the world of finance in 2016 after a 20-year career.
From there, he ran Chefs, a restaurant in Gardens for five years — an experience which he describes as “research” for his new food hall blueprint. Though the restaurant was popular, it wasn’t able to scale easily into other areas.
“Restaurants have battled because there aren’t enough customers and overheads are very high,” he says. “They need feet in the door and new experiences, and consumers have become overserviced with 100 kitchens on your doorstep with Uber Eats.”
His new food hall will provide a “better overall mix”, as there can be multiple sittings in a day, and consumers get a variety of products, which are likely more affordable.
“Plus they’re in the ‘town square’ where you can do all your other things and have an indoor market.”
Chefs will have an in-house model with multiple cuisines under the guidance of a head chef, who is yet to be announced.
It’s an idea which is booming internationally.
Other models of food halls have different brands under one roof like the Sarona market in Tel Aviv with retail stores, food stands and restaurants; La Boqueria in Barcelona which dates back hundreds of years; and the iconic Harrods Food Hall in London that is part of a shopping empire.
And in Portugal, the editors of Time Out magazine saw an opportunity to turn a historic city market into the Time Out Market in May 2014. It is now Portugal’s most popular attraction, hosting 4-million visitors annually.
Food halls overseas are often in remodelled warehouses, but Stevenson says his group didn’t want to refurbish an old building because of the expense. Plus, SA has a strong shopping centre culture — his view is indoor markets can only be in shopping centres in SA, which are effectively town squares.
According to a report from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, while low margins make it difficult for independent restaurants to survive, the food hall sector may be able to weather the storm better thanks to lower costs, flexible space designs and developer/landlord partnerships. Since 2016, 223 new food halls have opened globally.
International travel guide Fodor’s says the future of food is a whole lifestyle experience — lots of culinary choices in one place, a focus on local, independently owned and artisanal, with entertainment and late hours.
Stevenson says that at one point, his plan was to create something outdoor — like the successful Oranjezicht Market in Granger Bay adjacent to the V&A Waterfront. “It’s sexy and you have a view. But we never did it because where do you do the next one?” he says.
There’s also the Mojo Market in Sea Point in Cape Town, and delis Giovanni’s in Green Point and Super Sconto on Louis Botha Avenue in Orange Grove in Joburg. Popular markets include The Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town, while Joburg will soon have The Playground (previously the Neighbourgoods Market) and the
Fourways Farmers Market.
Stevenson’s new Chefs plan, which will allow for ordering online, will effectively offer a global menu with an SA slant.
“We’re looking for different experiences, whether you’re with the family or not, at different price points — from a healthy salad in the week to pulled brisket with red wine on a Saturday night.
“There will be a curated deli mix, Asian food, local Malay, halaal, Italian and Japanese, all styled around SA chefs and cuisine. Plus waffles, crêpes, a milk bar, a craft bar,” he says.
His group has plans to expand internationally too.
“I see it as the restaurant of the future, a place where people need to come and socialise and reconnect with the products that farmers sell,” he says.