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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 09, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dumplings and banh mi. Mexican street food. Latin-inspired ramen. Those will be just a few of the sought-after menu items at The Pizitz Food Hall, opening this winter in The Pizitz, a historic building located in downtown Birmingham, Alabama.
“The Pizitz Food Hall will bring a new culinary experience to Birmingham and will become a place for people to gather and enjoy interesting food, as well as time with family and friends,” said Jeffrey Bayer, president and CEO of Bayer Properties. “The wide variety of cuisine we secured for The Pizitz Food Hall is unlike anything else in Birmingham or even Alabama. We can’t wait for the city to experience these unique and exciting culinary delights.”
Bayer Properties engaged local food bloggers from What to Eat in Birmingham to help identify unique restaurant concepts and entrepreneurs, leading The New York Times to call The Pizitz Food Hall “a foodie’s heaven.” The following stalls will appear in the Food Hall:
- Alabama Biscuit Co. – Flaky, sweet and savory biscuits featuring an array of toppings, including everything from local honey and almond butter to fried bologna and pork belly. This will be the second location for Birmingham’s beloved breakfast spot.
- Burger Concept from James Lewis – A to-be-named artisan burger and fries concept from local three-time James Beard nominee James Lewis and his brother Brian Lewis of BOCADO, BOCADO Burger and AMER cocktail bar in Atlanta.
- Busy Corner Cheese & Provisions – Brian McMillan, a longtime local distributor with The Cheese Advocate, will open Busy Corner Cheese & Provisions featuring farmstead and artisanal cheese and related specialty items. Busy Corner Cheese & Provisions will also serve sandwiches that are a creative take on the classic grilled cheese.
- Choza Taqueria – Channeling a beachside hut in northern Mexico, this taqueria with a sister restaurant in Gotham West Market in New York City, will feature fresh dishes, including tacos, burritos, bowls and salads.
- Dosa – A dish similar to a crepe, dosas are made of rice and lentils with authentic spices and served with coconut chutney, vegetable stews and a variety of toppings.
- Eli’s Jerusalem Grill – The second location for this Birmingham favorite will serve homemade Israeli cuisine, including shawarma, salads, falafel and kabobs.
- Ichicoro Ramen – A mod-casual ramen noodle house that will serve a new style of ramen inspired by Latin flavors, local produce and hot temperatures found in its home city of Tampa, Florida.
- Lichita’s – Lichita’s ice cream and Mexican paletas are reminiscent of southern Mexico and created using fresh fruit and quality ingredients from farmers markets and local sources.
- MO:MO – This stall will feature traditional Asian dumplings and banh mi made from scratch, while also showcasing new and experimental flavors. MO:MO is a new food concept from Abhi Sainju, executive chef at Bamboo on 2nd.
- Ono Poké – Drawing inspiration from his childhood in Hawaii, Vinh Tran will introduce Birmingham to poké, an intersection of Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine comprised of raw fish and imported seaweed served on a bed of rice or greens.
- Reveal Kitchen – Reveal Kitchen will serve as an incubator for Birmingham’s up-and-coming culinary talent, which will rotate quarterly. The stall is supported by REV Birmingham and their CO.STARTERS platform.
- Revelator Coffee – Choosing coffees to fit a simple, seasonal menu, Revelator Coffee roasts the coffee to celebrate each unique character. Similar to its other location in Birmingham, the stall will feature food and goods from local purveyors that complement the coffee.
- Waffle Works – A twist on traditional Belgian waffles, Waffle Works will explore the combination of soul food and waffles, offering a variety of sweet and savory flavors and toppings.
In addition to the food stalls, two full-service restaurants have been secured: Ghion Cultural Hall, a top-rated restaurant in Atlanta known for its authentic Ethiopian dining experience, concentrated Ethiopian coffee and its modern interpretation of classic dishes, and Fero, a restaurant from well-known New York chef Akhtar Nawab and Matt Wagman of Park South Hospitality. Offering a modern take on rustic Italian cuisine, Fero will feature a wide range of dishes, from the classic pork chop to pastas to a unique buckwheat crepe with pork belly.
Serving as a centerpiece of the Food Hall will be an interior bar called The Louis, named after Louis Pizitz, the original owner of The Pizitz building. The Louis will serve classic homemade treats, including a milkshake bar and handmade sodas, as well as craft cocktails and local beers. A gathering spot for the community during the day, the bar will cater to an older audience at night.
Appleseed Workshop is designing and building the majority of the tenant stalls, as well as the restaurants and outdoor plaza. Yellowhammer Creative is engaged to design the Food Hall logo and interior signage.
Bayer Properties’ $66 million renovation and re-imagining of the circa 1923 department store building began in 2015. When complete, the iconic landmark, located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, will include The Pizitz Food Hall, 11,000 square feet of office space and 143 rental apartments, which are currently being pre-leased. Additionally, Sidewalk Film Festival was recently engaged in a funding feasibility study to determine community support for a new two-screen art house theater, which could possibly be located in the lower level of The Pizitz, just below The Pizitz Food Hall. The theater would show first-run indie and repertoire films nightly and feature a full bar.
For more information, visit thepizitz.com.
About Bayer Properties
Birmingham, Alabama-based Bayer Properties LLC specializes in developing, leasing, managing and marketing mixed-use real estate properties nationwide. Bayer Properties currently owns and/or operates retail and office properties totaling approximately 10 million square feet, such as The Summit in Birmingham, Alabama; Mount Pleasant Towne Centre in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; and The Summit in Reno, Nevada. New developments include The Pizitz, an urban revitalization project in Birmingham, Alabama, and The Summit at Fritz Farm, a mixed-use project in Lexington, Kentucky. For more information, visit bayerproperties.com.
Savannah Durban, The Wilbert Group Tel: 404-343-0870 Email: sdurban@thewilbertgroup.com
