Kendall/MIT Infill and Small Developments

bigpicture7 said:
The ground level of much of the gutted historic portion of the south side of Main St. in Kendall, part of the MIT Kendall Gateway project, is getting a food hall (ostensibly well into construction)...will be called "Eastern Edge":

Eastern-Edge.jpg

From:
rock929rocks.com

Eastern Edge Food Hall to Bring Vibrant Dining to Kendall Square in 2026

The upcoming 11,000-square-foot food hall, located on the eastern edge of MIT’s campus, aims to become a gathering spot for both locals and visitors.
rock929rocks.com rock929rocks.com
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Does anyone have a good explanation for why these kinds of food halls are suddenly so popular? I feel like these were kind of rare even 10 years ago, and now there are a bunch in every city I visit. What about the economics of running a restaurant has pushed businesses in this direction? Or is it something else? Better branding so they don't just feel like a "food court"?

To be clear, I'm just really curious. I don't mind these places at all. Some are really nice, and this new one in Kendall will probably be fine.
 
It's just a food court with 21st century aesthetics and kitchen technology applied. Shared overhead, single common buildout, no waiters/limited front of house, super fast churn (lots of to go options) but now we're in a world where these places don't need to look like a high school cafeteria. Plus, if one stall fails they can replace with a new concept pretty easily.

These are all generally in areas with high density (office or residential) so they become low barrier options with more diversity than a single fast casual place. I've spent a good amount of time at High Street in the Financial District and while it's not winning any Michelin stars (not that anywhere in Boston is...) it's pretty good!
 
ritchiew said:
Does anyone have a good explanation for why these kinds of food halls are suddenly so popular? I feel like these were kind of rare even 10 years ago, and now there are a bunch in every city I visit. What about the economics of running a restaurant has pushed businesses in this direction? Or is it something else? Better branding so they don't just feel like a "food court"?

To be clear, I'm just really curious. I don't mind these places at all. Some are really nice, and this new one in Kendall will probably be fine.
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Millennials yearn for simpler times when they ate at mall food courts as children 😂. Legit though, I'm curious why these things are doing so well too. I know personally, I ended up eating at Timeout market waaay too many times when choosing where to eat as a group. Was a way to not choose a specific restaurant lol
 
Justbuildit said:
It's just a food court with 21st century aesthetics and kitchen technology applied. Shared overhead, single common buildout, no waiters/limited front of house, super fast churn (lots of to go options) but now we're in a world where these places don't need to look like a high school cafeteria. Plus, if one stall fails they can replace with a new concept pretty easily.

These are all generally in areas with high density (office or residential) so they become low barrier options with more diversity than a single fast casual place. I've spent a good amount of time at High Street in the Financial District and while it's not winning any Michelin stars (not that anywhere in Boston is...) it's pretty good!
Click to expand...
That "no front-of-house costs" thing is probably a big part of it.
 
Justbuildit said:
It's just a food court with 21st century aesthetics and kitchen technology applied. Shared overhead, single common buildout, no waiters/limited front of house, super fast churn (lots of to go options) but now we're in a world where these places don't need to look like a high school cafeteria. Plus, if one stall fails they can replace with a new concept pretty easily.

These are all generally in areas with high density (office or residential) so they become low barrier options with more diversity than a single fast casual place.
Click to expand...
That all makes sense. But it doesn't explain why these kind of places hardly existed 10-15 years ago, and now there are a bunch. What changed?

Justbuildit said:
it's not winning any Michelin stars (not that anywhere in Boston is...)
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Oh boy, you missed the news! Boston now has one Michelin Star!
www.bostonmagazine.com

Boston Gets One Michelin Star and Other Honors

It’s the region's first time in the international series of dining guides.
www.bostonmagazine.com www.bostonmagazine.com
 
I’m sure some innovator somewhere realized fancy cafeterias work and now they’re everywhere especially in underused ground floor lobby space.

And in re Michelin I did the see the news and it’s kind of sad we only got a single restaurant with a star…I round it down to 0
 
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bigpicture7 said:
Eastern Edge food hall in Kendall opened yesterday, via Globe:

www.bostonglobe.com

A new food hall just opened in Cambridge. Here are the restaurants inside. - The Boston Globe

It hopes to be the neighborhood’s Cheers.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com

Non-paywalled at Boston Magazine:
www.bostonmagazine.com

Greater Boston’s Newest Food Hall Opens in Kendall Square

Eastern Edge serves everything from bibimbap to soul food to bánh mì.
www.bostonmagazine.com www.bostonmagazine.com
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Checked it out last weekend. It's a nice space and it's great to no longer have a blank streetwall on that block. Definitely oriented towards the worker/tourist/visitor, but some decent fast casual options here in a pinch. I do find it funny that the Clover across the street closed, only for a smaller one to reopen in this food hall.

20260214_095559.jpg
 
The rent is probably cheaper. Using a different order site than the rest of their locations is annoying.
 
BACsop said:
...I do find it funny that the Clover across the street closed, only for a smaller one to reopen in this food hall.
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RandomWalk said:
The rent is probably cheaper. Using a different order site than the rest of their locations is annoying.
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There is no fixed rent. According to the website, in lieu of rent, vendors pay a percentage of gross sales. This probably means they need to use the food hall's point of sale system, hence why the usual Clover app doesn't work for this location.
See FAQs within here: https://www.easternedgefoodhall.com/become-a-vendor
 
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