Hatch Local, Richmond's only food hall, is closing in March
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Inside Hatch Local Food Hall. Image: Courtesy of Richmond Region Tourism
Hatch Local Food Hall will shut down at the end of March and transition to a new food business incubator model.
What's happening: The public facing portion of the Manchester food hall will end March 31 as Hatch moves to a new business focused on mentorship and educational resources that help local food and beverage entrepreneurs develop their business plans.
- The change is "to better meet our entrepreneurs' needs and market demands," per the release out Thursday.
Why it matters: Hatch Local was Richmond's first and only food hall.
What they're saying: The group wanted to announce the change early to give vendors time to plan their next steps, Bernard Harkless with Hatch owner Lynx Ventures tells Axios.
- The group will also work with the existing food hall tenants to "to ensure their future success," which may include continued takeout and delivery out of Hatch for some of the vendors.
Flashback: Lynx opened Hatch Local at 400 Hull St. in March 2022 as an extension of Hatch Kitchen, its nearby commercial kitchen space that rents workspace for local food startups.
- With the food hall, the group hoped to give burgeoning restaurateurs exposure and an opportunity to refine and scale their concepts.
- And many of its inaugural tenants, including Odyssey, Buttermilk & Honey and Sincero, went on to open brick and mortar locations.
The migration from food hall to mentor and incubator is a continuation of Hatch's mission to support local food concepts, Harkless says.
The big picture: Earlier this month, EAT Restaurant Partners said it was no longer opening a food hall it had planned for Scott's Addition. And another one planned for the neighborhood before the pandemic was scrapped in 2020.
So when Hatch Local closes, Richmond will be without a food hall once more.
- Until then, it and its six current restaurant tenants will be open for business.