A food hall is expected to open at the Pearl Brewery this spring, offering patrons access to cuisine from six local vendors seven days a week.
Located at the former site of the Pearl Bottling House at the corner of Karnes Street and Pearl Parkway on the brewery’s south side, the new 10,000-square-foot facility will provide a diverse range of local, experimental cuisine, though the genres have yet to be announced.
“The operators we’re working with are all creative,” says Elizabeth Fauerso, chief marketing officer at the Pearl Brewery. “We’re looking forward to hosting pop-up dinners, collaborating with the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio and the weekend farmers market, as well as offering collaborative programming with Music in the Park and Theater in the Park.”
The food hall will bring a new element to the Pearl’s bustling restaurant scene by offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner, making it suitable for people with busy lifestyles.
“The market will be that kind of flexible, easy, accessible option where you can run in and grab something to eat, have a picnic, and make an event of it,” Fauerso says. “It’s great for families and people who want to try new flavors.”
The food hall will include about 3,000 square feet of patio space looking onto Pearl Parkway, as well as a 2-acre lawn featuring native plants. It will be next to the farmers market, which is open Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm and Sundays from 10 am to 2 pm.
The new building includes salvaged cornerstones and masonry from the original Bottling House. The Pearl Brewery completed the project with designs by Clayton & Little Architects, who also helped rehabilitate Larder at Hotel Emma and Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery.
The new building pays homage to the original structure along with some contemporary elements, Fauerso says. The developers restored one of the original fermentation cellars by turning it into a pavilion space.
Fauerso envisions the food hall as a culinary hub, contributing to the Pearl Brewery’s pedestrian-friendly layout by offering a high density of food offerings and housing.
“Nationally, food halls are finding success in very dense environments,” she said. “We see families come here, park, walk on the River Walk to see the ducks and have lunch. We’re thinking about that organic way to spend time in a public space with a lot of wonderful culinary options where you can kind of let the day and the evening roll out into an organic neighborhood experience.
“We see it as an opportunity for our guests to have a diverse, flexible experience, but also as a chance to work with experienced operators trying a new concept or first-time operators looking for a space in the new food hall,” she adds.
The food hall is part of a continuing series of mixed-use developments happening at Pearl Brewery. The brewery has announced intentions to expand to the corner of Grayson and Broadway streets beyond Pearl Parkway.
Plans for a 10-story mixed-use office and retail development at the corner of Broadway Street and Pearl Parkway have been submitted the Historic and Design Review Commission, and construction is expected within the next couple years, she said.
Meanwhile, Silver Ventures will use the food hall as a focal point for other projects under construction on the neighborhood’s south lawn, Fauerso says.
The Pearl Brewery will also soon be home to Hiatus Spa and Retreat on the ground floor of The Cellars at Pearl, a 10-story residential park opening this spring. The apartments are currently for lease, and anyone interested should visit the website to submit their name and contact information.
The Pearl Brewery will be announcing the food hall’s official opening date soon.
San Antonio's trendiest district is getting a food hall.
Mariela Camacho, Comadre Panaderia.
Courtesy photo