Beauleigh, A5 Hospitality Form Food Hall Partnership

Beauleigh, the retail leasing consultancy behind the Union Station revamp, is JVing with Montreal-based restaurant/bar/nightclub group A5 Hospitality to conceptualize, design and operate food halls across Canada.

Beauleigh CEO Marcelle Rademeyer, seen with COO Jean-Francois Nault, told us the two groups have been collaborating for the past 18 months, designing food halls with a decidedly non-cookie-cutter approach. They're officially unveiling the partnership now. The JV will create and operate an array of food halls nationwide, including three in Toronto. The partners can't yet discuss specifics about the projects they're involved in, but the food hall concept is taking off in TO and across North America. The Waterworks Building redevelopment has a food hall as its centrepiece.

Beauleigh is working on the Union Station reimagining, including a food hall-style fresh market, above, that'll bring the city inside the station with a mix of indie and local purveyors. The firm also injected new blood into the First Canadian Place food court, putting boutique brands IQ Food, Maman bakery and Greenhouse Juice into space normally reserved for national chains. Marcelle said the resurgent popularity of food halls has been driven by Millennials. They see food as fashion, and want fresh, organic, locally sourced options, and want character-filled environments to peruse them in. “Eating is entertainment now,” said A5 principal PJ Goupil.

Above is Kampai Garden, A5’s new Montreal restaurant. PJ said the 10k SF beer garden boasts industrial eclectic decor and a menu that “reinterprets bar food with the best possible ingredients and influences from around the world.” That’s the kind of spirit Beauleigh sought when it formed its partnership with A5, founded by Alexandre Besnard. Beauleigh will work with architects, designers and landlords to forge locally inspired food hall concepts, and A5 will be responsible for implementing, launching, promoting and sustaining them. “It’s a fully integrated approach to ensure these food halls succeed long term,” Marcelle said.

Above is a rendering of Manulife Centre’s redevelopment, another Beauleigh project. It will include Canada’s first Eataly, a food hall. A5’s PJ said the partnership with Beauleigh marks the first foray into large-scale CRE for his firm, which operates 15 boutique brands in Montreal, including Jatoba, named one of Canada’s top 10 best new restaurants by enRoute magazine. The timing of the JV couldn’t be better, as more landlords and building operators are seeing the value in food and beverage, and in offerings that are “far from your typical food court options,” PJ said. “So we’re excited to see how this partnership unfolds.”