The Food Hall Trend Touches Down In Plano With Concepts From Matt McCallister, Andrew Chen

If you haven’t heard, 2016 is the year of the food hall. As opposed to standalone restaurants, food halls offer a variety of small stalls housed under one roof, much like The Market at the Dallas Farmers Market.

The trend hasn’t been as big in Dallas as it has in, say, cities like New York and San Francisco, but Legacy Hall will land at Plano’s white-hot Legacy West development next year. Legacy Hall co-owner Jack Gibbons tells Eater exclusively that the three story food hall will house 20 different vendors in 200 to 300 square foot stalls on the building’s first floor, along with a fast-casual restaurant and onsite craft brewery that will occupy the second and third floors, respectively.

The details are still in the works, but Legacy Hall will feature offerings from some of Dallas’ biggest food names. Chef Matt McCallister has already signed on develop a concept for the space, though no word yet on exactly it will be. Monkey King Noodle Company’s Andrew Chen is also looking to open a concept in Legacy Hall, along with Patina Green’s Robert and Kaci Lyford.

"Legacy Hall is a food hall, but it’s a little bit more than that. It’s a culinary and entertainment destination, the first of its kind in Texas we feel," says Gibbons. "We want to showcase the freshest local ingredients, foods prepared by local chefs and artisans in a really remarkable space."

The concept also provides a unique opportunity for young and up-and-coming restaurateurs and chefs to bring their food to a brick and mortar location. "It’s never been harder in the restaurant business than is today to open a brick and mortar store," says Gibbons. "The expenses are incredible, dealing with the legal process and the city is difficult. We want to give chefs and restaurateurs an opportunity to open with lower costs and to create a fast-casual concept at the best real estate in North Texas, and maybe the whole country given what’s going on."

Construction is still underway at Legacy West, which will be completed in two phases. Legacy Hall is part of phase two, which means that you can look for it to land in August 2017.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more details on Legacy Hall’s vendors and the craft brewery.