Casual dining company Market Halls, which currently operates from two central London venues in Fulham and Victoria, is to receive £20m funding from Bridgepoint Growth, a dedicated fund making growth capital investments.
The capital injection will drive Market Halls’ expansion plans across the UK. It plans to open two new sites this year – a flagship venue on Oxford Street and a 14,500 sq ft venue at intu’s Lakeside shopping centre in Essex.
It will roll out the casual dining experience to other out-of-town shopping centres across the UK, and is thought to have identified 15 opportunities similar to the intu Lakeside deal.
The company, which is led by chief executive Andy Lewis-Pratt, has secured or is in advanced discussions to open at a number of prime locations.
The Market Halls concept has so far opened in repurposed older buildings, such as the former Pacha night club site in London’s Victoria and the former ticket office in Fulham Broadway.
The 40,000 sq ft flagship, Market Halls West End, is due to open on Oxford Street in December, in the basement of the unit formerly occupied by BHS.
It will open at the intu Lakeside £72m leisure extension in July. The food hall will feature seven kitchens, a coffee shop, pop-up areas for food trucks, two bars and seating for 680 people.
Former property developer Lewis-Pratt and Simon Anderson, a restaurateur known for Pitt Cue Co on the edge of London’s Spitalfields, launched Market Halls in spring 2018.
RPA Perspective Market Halls will also open a 20,000 sq ft food hall at the Canary Wharf scheme, occupying ground and dock levels. With the capacity to accommodate 500 people, the food hall will feature numerous kitchens, two bars, a coffee shop and outdoor terraces.
Located at the entrance of Canary Wharf’s Elizabeth line station, Cargo is part of Blackstone’s office and leisure scheme, Crossrail Place.
The 14-storey building offers 280,000 sq ft of grade-A office space across floorplates ranging from 19,000sq ft to 25,000 sq ft. It also has a roof garden, which is available to Cargo occupiers.
Blackstone Property Management’s UK leasing director Ed Hodgson said Market Halls was the “ideal partner” for Blackstone at Cargo. “Their management team’s vision and operational quality are second to none and we are thrilled to be working with them to pair this pioneering combination of uses,” he said.
Meanwhile, on 31 May the doors to Time Out Market New York officially opened for business inside the historic Dumbo warehouse Empire Stores (55 Water St, Brooklyn). The two-story food hall features 21 eateries—all handpicked by Time Out editors—serving up the best food in the city under one roof. Meanwhile, three full bars will be offering craft cocktails and drinks—many drawing from local breweries and distilleries.
The meals are all served on chinaware with metal silverware. The communal tables are spacious with leather chairs. And market staff will clear away plates, no bussing your own table necessary.
From outdoor tables on the ground floor and a truly spectacular rooftop terrace on the fifth floor, visitors can enjoy vistas of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges as well as the New York skyline.
