Food Halls Gain Popularity Across Canada, with More Growth Anticipated

For decades, Canada’s food courts were predictable spaces dominated by the same few chains offering convenient lunch and snack options. However, a new wave of dining spaces known as food halls is transforming the country’s approach to communal dining, featuring diverse and lesser-known brands in stylish settings that cater to a wide range of tastes and demographics.

RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust recently opened Wellington Market, a 50-vendor dining space in The Well, a large residential, office, and retail complex in Toronto. The market offers a variety of cuisines, from lobster rolls to ramen noodles, alongside other amenities like a grocer, a florist, and a wine shop.

Jonathan Gitlin, CEO of RioCan, believes this is just the beginning for food halls in Canada. “There’s a lot of room and space for more of these types of markets,” he said, noting the increasing popularity and demand for new dining experiences.

The concept of food halls, which some trace back to European department stores or the Italian food emporium chain Eataly, has gained traction in major Canadian cities like Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Ottawa. Vancouver’s Oakridge Park shopping centre is set to open a food hall next year, and Eataly will bring its fourth Toronto location to the Eaton Centre mall around the same time.

Food halls are attractive to entrepreneurs because they are often more affordable to open than traditional restaurants, with shared operational expenses and lower rent costs. This arrangement also appeals to landlords, as food halls can draw in visitors and serve as versatile event venues.

Despite the growing number of food halls, industry experts like Gillian Gonzalez-Risso of Feast Culinary Consulting emphasize the need to maintain the uniqueness and excitement of each space. “Part of the appeal with having these places is that each individual food hall is special and interesting and compelling,” she said.

Sandy Hayek, CEO of Time Out Market, predicts further expansion of food halls beyond urban areas to locations like airports, repurposed office buildings, and high-traffic malls. She also anticipates future developments in sustainability measures, technology integration, and enhanced culinary curation to meet evolving consumer preferences.

As food halls continue to proliferate and evolve, it is clear that this innovative dining concept is poised for sustained growth and popularity across Canada.