The Food Court boom

A Food Court boom is upon us, and they’re going upscale, with some of the prestigious names getting in on the act. Todd English’s food hall at New York’s Plaza Hotel opened this summer, complete with areas for oysters, tapas, sushi, grilled items and cheeses. Before the end of this year we’ll see the openings of international food court, Food Parc, at Kimpton’s Hotel Eventi, and Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s new market/food court concept, Eataly. These initiatives, much like the retail shopping bazaar, help with bring in added income and boosts both room rates and occupancy.

And then there’s a new food court set to open at Delta Airlines terminal D at La Guardia with the aim of recreating a real New York dining experience. Everyone from likes of Chris Cannon (an owner of Marea, etc.) and chef Andrew Carmellini of Locanda Verde to Michael Lomonaco and Pat LaFrieda (the meat supplier for Shake Shack), its almost making it worth a trip to the Terminal D for the culinary variety.

We think the appeal of food court dining is that it’s a product of the small plates and grazing trend – trying different foods at one seating – plus, it’s casual.