The Hall On Franklin To Permanently Close Dec. 15

TAMPA, FL — Tampa's first food hall, The Hall on Franklin, will close Dec. 15. However, its founder is moving ahead with plans to open another food hall in Midtown Tampa, a mixed-use community under development at North Dale Mabry Highway and Interstate 75.

Tampa entrepreneur and former professional athlete Jamal Wilson opened the 8,000-square-foot food hall at 1701 N. Franklin St., Tampa, in 2017.

He said the main reason for the closure is the layout for The Hall on Franklin doesn't allow for outdoor dining and a private dining room that's so important to restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic.

He noted that the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. The Hall on Franklin, like other Tampa Bay restaurants, was forced to shut its doors for several months following a mandate from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in March.

“We have made the decision to close the original Hall location on Franklin Street and move forward to open a Hall in Midtown and our new site in St. Petersburg,” Wilson said.
“As great as the original Franklin Street site was, there are certain things we were not able to do there, such as outside dining, adding a private dining room and other amenities that are especially important amid COVID-19.”

Like The Hall on Franklin, the new Hall at Midtown will feature a food court with full-service dining with more than 300 seats and a 1,200p-square-foot patio. Wilson said he's bringing together some of the area's top local chefs and mixologists to the food hall.

There will also be a private dining room with a private kitchen and a digital golf-driving lane in the food court.

Set to open in early 2021, Midtown Tampa developed by Bromley Companies will deliver 1.8 million square feet of retail, residential, office, entertainment and hospitality.

Already, Midtown Tampa has announced it will be home a dual-branded Marriott Aloft and Element Hotel with 225 rooms, REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) Co-op, Whole Foods Market, Crescent Community's Novel 390-unit multifamily residential, Midtown Tampa Chiropractic and Wellness Center, Royal Pets Market & Resort, the Midtown One office tower, F45 Training and RYDE IT with Midtown Boba.

Announcing plans to move to Midtown Tampa as well are BellaBrava: New World Trattoria, Oronzo Honest Italian, Shake Shack, Burtons Grille & Bar, Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Café, Kale Me Crazy and True Food Kitchen, an award-winning restaurant specializing in fresh, seasonal dishes with natural health benefits for vegan, vegetarian, high-protein and gluten-free lifestyles.

Also on tap for Midtown Tampa is a new restaurant concept by Tampa Bay Chef Chris Ponte of the Ponte Group Restaurant. The 5,000-square-foot Midtown Tampa restaurant will feature American cuisine with a French and Italian influence. It will seat 200 guests and include a full bar and lounge, an open kitchen surrounded by glass and a wine cellar with more than 400 selections.

The $500 million development will include 11 buildings on 23 acres with 4 acres of green space.

“As an overall project, Midtown Tampa is intentionally designed as a walkable, outdoor lifestyle environment where both individuals and companies will live, work and play at their very best,” said Bromley Companies CEO Nick Haines, which is developing the site.

In this age of coronavirus, Haines said Midtown Tampa will incorporate numerous touch-free elements and safety measures. It will be designed with physical distancing in mind and plenty of access to outdoor spaces.

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