An innovative new market at True North Square is set to open Friday afternoon, bringing locally based food, drinks and more to the heart of downtown Winnipeg.
Hargrave St. Market is being described as a “food hall”, and True North Sports & Entertainment president Jim Ludlow told 680 CJOB that it’s a big change from the mall food courts most Winnipeggers are familiar with.
“You can expect lots of creativity, lots of innovation, and some of the best of the best from our local chef-centric food operators,” said Ludlow.
“A food hall is really driven by food, by culinary culture, by local operation, by innovation that is not – I’ll call it – nationally branded.”
The two-level food hall will feature nine concept restaurants offering everything from pizza to craft beer to coffee to sushi, as well as a grocery store.
Bobby Mottolla of Gusto North and Mottolla Grocery, who describes the building as “second to none,” said the goal is to make the market a destination.
“One of the most exciting things about being in the business that we are in is the relationships that we get to build over the years, and they grow.
“We talk about downtown and what that does for us with everybody there, and the collaboration between the nine concepts just amplifies that.
“It does cover all the bases, so there really is something for everyone.”
Despite a scarcity of parking spaces in downtown Winnipeg, Ludlow said one of the market’s strengths is that it has a number of connection points to the downtown skywalk system.
“You can very easily walk here inside from Portage and Main, if you happen to be working downtown… or now, in some cases, living downtown,” he said.
“We find part of the magic of this is its connectivity to downtown through the skywalk.”
Hargrave St. Market opens at 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.
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