A new food hall is opening near Grand Central Terminal
We know food halls in NYC—hell, we have one of our very own—so we’re always interested when we hear of a new multi-vendor dining court opening in the city, especially when it’s at a notable address. The General Electric Building at 570 Lexington Avenue has already played host to one of the city’s most high-profile food halls, UrbanSpace, since 2018 and now a fresh new food-hall concept is moving on in.
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Earlier this spring, it was reported that New York restaurant giant Stephen Hanson (Dos Caminos, Bill’s Bar and Burger, Ruby Foo’s) and international hospitality operator Alex Gaudelet would be taking over the UrbanSpace food halls. Per The New York Post, Hanson and Gaudelet’s recently formed HF Brands and Markets would be relaunching all five UrbanSpace locations, “acquiring each of the halls individually and rebranding them,” starting with the Vanderbilt location.
And now the team has signed a 25-year, 11,400-square-foot lease with The Feil Organization, which will bring top food brands into the Midtown East skyscraper.
“We’re excited to welcome a new food hall concept that will elevate the quality of food offerings for our tenants and the surrounding neighborhood,” said Randall Briskin, Vice President of Retail Leasing at the Feil Organization. “At the historic 570 Lexington, the introduction of this exciting retail program by the industry’s premier tastemakers once again showcases our ability to meet the demand for upgraded tenant needs, which are fundamental to the success of their business and talent.”
Eschewing the typical business model of similar food-hall operators, HF Brands and Markets are planning to stand out from similarly focused competitors by running the majority of the food stands in-house. The full food-and-drink lineup is still to come but per a press release, the HF Team will tap into the vast restaurant network of Hanson, who was the former owner of the fine-dining empire B.R. Guest.
“As we seek to inject new life into the food hall industry, we’re materializing our game-changing food halls in strategic, central locations,” Hanson said in a press release. “We felt magnetized to the iconic allure of 570 Lexington, located near a major transit hub and surrounded by landmarks and cultural destinations. Additionally, the Feil Organization provided us with specialized attention to detail and worked with us to bring our vision to reality, making them an invaluable partner to our future success.”