Metro Atlanta is getting another food hall later this year.
Halidom Eatery is set to open by the end of the year on the first floor of the international headquarters of IST Management Services at 1341 Moreland Ave., on the bank of the Intrenchment Creek. The project is being developed by IST CEO and president Hal Blackman, and Brad Burgess, vice president of marketing and real estate. The news was first reported by Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The 13,000-square-foot space will include 11 food stalls, a bar, and an area for private events. Philadelphia-based Eimer Design has been tapped to design Halidom Eatery, which will have a South Beach art deco theme.
Halidom, which means “sanctuary” in 12th-century Middle English, will also include a 6,500-square-foot retail building, an 89-unit apartment building and a 2-acre nature park.
No food hall tenants have been announced, but Burgess told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that IST is working with Atlanta-based Terra Alma Real Estate Group on leasing the stalls starting in April.
Of the 11 stalls, three are not vented, which would lend themselves to concepts that serve foods like ice cream, cookies or sushi. One stall is pegged for a coffee shop.
Though Burgess said the lineup will include staples like burgers, pizza and tacos, he’s also hoping to bring in other “culturally diverse” cuisines and under-the-radar concepts.
“One of our main goals is to support and celebrate the local community,” Burgess said. “Finding talented, local chefs is a high priority but finding the right fit is also important, so if the right regional or national brand makes sense, we would bring them in as well.”
While IST will own and operate the bar, the company plans to work with local bartenders to create the bar program.
“Having an awesome beverage program is really important to us,” he said. “We’ll be working with a local who understands the community and can work closely with the stall vendors to make sure we have drinks that work with their food.”
Though there’s been a boom in food halls across metro Atlanta over the past few years, Burgess said Halidom is “less traditional” in that IST, a facilities management and litigation support company, is located above the food hall.
“This is our headquarters,” he said. “So every time we’re thinking about how to keep developing this land, we think, ‘What do we think is going to be great for our employees, fun and exciting for us and the community.”
As CEO, Blackman wanted something that would allow IST to have flexibility and more control over the design, which Burgess said would be less likely by committing to just one or two restaurants.
Burgess also notes Halidom’s large parking lot and seating as additional draws to the project. Instead of one large seating area, Halidom will “create a series of smaller and more intimate spaces with a mixture of different seating styles” for its 320 indoor seats and 123 outdoor seats.
In addition, the food hall will allow guests at one table to order from several different stalls on one credit card, with all the food coming out at the same time.
Once it opens, Halidom will join more than 10 food halls across metro Atlanta, including Qommunity and Southern Feedstore, both less than two miles away in East Atlanta Village. There are also several food halls slated to open in the coming months, including Citizens at Phipps Plaza and the Lee + White food hall in West End.
“Our success helps other food halls, and their success helps us,” Burgess said. “I don’t think it’s a fight for customers, it’s just trying to create great food opportunities for the people of Atlanta.”
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