With the abundance of restaurants and cafes scouring the greater Raleigh area, choosing where to eat can be a daunting task for those with growling stomachs. Thankfully, though, the question of where to eat just got a whole lot easier. Bringing everything from tacos to coffee to rolled ice cream, Morgan Street Food Hall & Market will provide locals with a wealth of vendors ready to satisfy many varieties of cravings. The food hall and market will open this fall in Downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District.
Food halls provide the public with a casual dining experience unlike no other, as customers can order a panini at one vendor, an iced matcha at another, and a slice of chocolate cheesecake at a third. Cities across the nation are implementing this community-style dining trend, which presents customers with multiple food and beverage options at one convenient location. In addition to the influx of vendors, food halls often sell fresh produce and melt-in-your-mouth bakery items. Morgan Street Food Hall & Market will boast all of these mouthwatering amenities, and renowned restaurants and cafes are jumping at the chance to be a part of the action.
Niall Hanley, owner of Morgan Street Food Hall & Market, as well as Hibernian Hospitality Group, has worked to ensure the grand opening is a success. As Hanley owns some of Raleigh’s most beloved hotspots, including the Raleigh Beer Garden, the soon-to-be food hall is in good hands. For Hanley, Raleigh proved the perfect place to adopt the European-inspired trend that’s taking the U.S. by storm.
“Raleigh has a great cross-cut of cultures and diversity,” Hanley said. “The timing is perfect for this concept to be a successful part of downtown Raleigh.”
Excited to provide locals with some of the best operations Raleigh has to offer, Hanley has worked closely with participating vendors to make sure they’re ready for show time. Standing out against other operations are Morgan Street Food Hall and Market’s plentiful food and beverage options.
“The variety of choices available will be unparalleled,” Hanley said. “A group of people can come in, get 15 different styles of food and sit down together. You’ll be able to grab something to take home and make, or be able to buy what you need at the market as well.”
Cousins Maine Lobster, whose Shark Tank stint landed it nationwide fame, is one of the food hall’s many notable vendors who are excited to bring fresh Maine lobsters to the market. Deb Keller, owner of the lobster-producing enterprise, originally heard about the food hall at a Raleigh Food Truck Association event.
“With business cards in hand, and after hearing the guest speakers share their vision and projects in the making, I became very intrigued and asked a few questions afterwards,” Keller said. “I felt the concept would be very welcomed in our growing city, and the wheels began to roll.”
In addition to its own restaurant located in Los Angeles, Cousins Maine Lobster currently operates two food trucks, one of which is located in Raleigh. Cousins Maine Lobster’s spot at Morgan Street Food Hall & Market marks its first full restaurant to open outside of Los Angeles, as the location impressed Keller with its extensive palette of vendors. However, Keller is mostly excited about continuing to serve “the best of the best” Maine cuisine to locals right here in Raleigh.
“One of many cool parts is that all ages will have many food options to choose from,” Keller said. “Think of Morgan Street Food Hall as an over-the-top food court with many classy touches and fine cuisines that folks can enjoy.”
Raleigh Rolls — Raleigh’s very own Thai rolled ice cream brand — is another vendor that locals can look forward to seeing at the food hall. After indulging in the sweet treat when visiting Southeast Asia, NC State alumna Kristen Baughman brought the idea back home. Baughman now runs the marketing operations of the brand, whose debut and permanent location will be at the food hall.
“We wanted to be a part of the market because it’s such a wonderful, collaborative space that will be filled with creative energy,” Baughman said. “It’s the perfect place for food entrepreneurs to join together.”
Since her trip, Baughman has perfected the art of rolling ice cream. It starts with pouring homemade milk over a chilled grill. Then the milk is mixed with additional ingredients such as cookies, fruit, coffee or any other desired topping. The result — a refreshing treat perfect for cooling down on those especially sweltering summer afternoons.
Raleigh Rolls plans on bringing everything from Grandma’s Nanner Puddin’ roll, featuring bananas, vanilla wafers and whipped cream, to the unique Twinkie Thai, which boasts two Twinkies stuffed with a choice of any Thai ice cream flavor. The Thai ice cream machines are currently in transit and will arrive in plenty of time to serve rolled-up happiness at the market’s opening.
Morgan Street Food Hall & Market will open this fall in downtown Raleigh. The food hall will feature multiple food and beverage vendors as well as a fresh market.
