Here's What's in Store at Time Out's First U.S. Food Hall in Miami
When a friend told us to meet them at the Time Out Market in Lisbon, Portugal, earlier this year, my initial reaction was confusion. “Like the magazine?” I asked. What does a media brand know about running a food hall? A lot, it turns out. The atmosphere was electric. Standing room only. The stalls featured more delicious food than I had time to try. Yet on the way out, we somehow found ourselves chatting to the staff of the wine store for nearly half an hour.
When Time Out opened its Lisbon market in 2014, the decision was certainly a gambit—but it’s been one that has paid off and is slated to be a big part of the media giant’s brand moving forward. “It took us four years from the opening of Lisbon to understand how to get it working better and to prepare it for global expansion,” Didier Souillat, Time Out Market CEO, told Nation’s Restaurant News. “But we have to explore the U.S. first.”
Next year, Time Out plans to open these food halls in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Montreal—but the first American outpost is slated for Miami, and plenty of details have emerged on exactly what that initial location will look like.
Scheduled for early 2019, Time Out Market Miami will be a 17,500-square-foot space—only about a quarter of the size of the Lisbon location—in Miami Beach featuring 17 different food stalls, three bars, an art gallery, and a demonstration kitchen. Nation’s Restaurant News reports that eight of the food vendors have already been locked in.
Jeremy Ford of Stubborn Seed is eying a Korean concept that will likely feature a spin on fried chicken sandwich. Michael Beltran of Ariete is planning to utilize wood-burning for dishes like smoked short ribs and smoked chicken. Alberto Cabrera is opening The Local Cuban, featuring foods from his childhood like medianoche croquetas. Matt Kuscher is bringing two of his existing brands to the food hall: his burgers and craft beer joint Kush and Stephen’s Delicatessen, billed as Miami’s oldest deli. A taco stall called Coyo Taco will be whipping up made-to-order tortillas. 33 Kitchen will serve Peruvian dishes. And the restaurant Miami Smoker plans to open a Charcuterie Bar.
Though Souillat reportedly said that the food hall will use actual dishware and glassware, another part of the concept won’t be so traditional: The entire market will be cashless. He also said plan on the average check coming out to about $20. Though to be fair, he has no idea how many tacos you can eat.
