Operations

How food hall pioneer Anna Castellani is transforming community dining

Thriving marketplaces of local vendors connect people through food and celebrate their stories.

This episode of Menu Feed is brought to you by Tock.
Tock

 Anna Castellani launched her first food hall in the basement of a building in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y., when the neighborhood was essentially a food desert. Today, the underground space is the thriving DeKalb Market, home to more than 25 local vendors offering a range of cuisines that celebrate Brooklyn’s diverse culture.

“I like to transform unloved spaces into vibrant eating and drinking venues,” Castellani said. Her next project was The Hugh, a space in midtown Manhattan’s Citicorp building that still had a tired 1980s feel. She gave it an exciting vibe with a collection of global New York City eateries and edgy design, creating an all-day dining destination and gathering place.

 Anna Castellani
Anna Castellani

Listen as Castellani shares how she transitioned from the movie business into a food hall pioneer, describes her mission of connecting and celebrating people through food and how she builds community into each of her hospitality concepts.

Subscribe to Menu Feed on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Leadership

Meet the restaurant fixer who now owns Etta

Tech entrepreneur Johann Moonesinghe suddenly finds himself leading a growing group of restaurants. His secret? He doesn't expect to make a profit.

Financing

Looking for the next Chipotle? These 3 chains are already there

The Bottom Line: Wingstop, Raising Cane’s and Jersey Mike’s have broken free from the pack of well-established growth chains. Here’s why this trio stands out.

Financing

For Starbucks, 2 years of change hasn't yielded promised results

The Bottom Line: The coffee shop giant’s sales struggles worsened earlier this year, despite a flurry of efforts to improve operations and employee satisfaction.

Trending

More from our partners