Still roughly a year away from opening, the 1-acre tract in Plano’s booming Legacy West development doesn’t look much different from dozens of other construction sites. But soon, a massive new European-style food hall will take shape in the premier mixed-use complex, transforming the dining and entertainment landscape of North Texas.
Legacy Hall is much more than the latest innovative concept from two of North Texas’ most acclaimed restaurateurs. It is the first of several projects envisioned for The Food Hall Company, founded by Randy DeWitt and Jack Gibbons, creators of such trend-setting concepts as Velvet Taco, Whiskey Cake, Ida Claire, Mexican Sugar, and Sixty Vines.
DeWitt and Gibbons first fell in love with the burgeoning concept when they traveled through Europe and visited several popular food halls. The business partners were immediately inspired to create something even better for the restaurant-savvy North Texas market, then branch out to other markets across the country.
“Our vision for both Legacy Hall and our future food hall developments is to combine innovative cuisine and ‘food theater’ with live music and entertainment to create truly exceptional, regionally inspired culinary destinations,” says DeWitt, CEO of The Food Hall Company. “We believe our backgrounds as multi-unit restaurant concept developers and operators have uniquely positioned us to build a profitable business model that will be successful for all parties involved: aspiring restaurateurs, inventive chefs, real estate developers and our ultimate consumers.”
The Food Hall Company’s first project, Legacy Hall, will span three stories, with about 55,000 square feet dedicated to the food hall. More than 20 innovative vendors will serve up an eclectic array of fast-casual, artisanal foods in food stalls on the first floor. A fast-casual restaurant and terrace on the second floor will overlook a large live music stage and beer garden, and an on-site craft brewery and taproom will comprise the third floor.
“Randy and I are recruiting the top restaurateurs and chefs from across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to be a part of Legacy Hall, which we custom-designed to be a one-of-a-kind food destination that also features a full-service craft brewery,” says Gibbons, president of The Food Hall Company. “It will be a family-friendly gathering place with live music and a fun, energetic vibe that will draw food lovers from all across the region. Friends, families and couples will no longer need to agree on where they want to eat. They’ll simply head to Legacy Hall, which will answer the age-old question, ‘Where can I find the best [anything] in town?’”
The Food Hall Company is dedicated to giving chefs and young food entrepreneurs—true masters of their craft—the freedom to experiment and discover their next big food idea. The business model also allows them the opportunity to open with minimal capital costs while retaining ownership of their concept.
Several award-winning chefs have already announced commitments to open a food stall at Legacy Hall, including:
John Tesar, owner of Knife
Matthew McCallister, owner of FT33
Andrew Chen, owner of Monkey King Noodle Company
Robert and Kaci Lyford, owners of Patina Green
Chef Gilbert Garza, owner of Suze, and Mark Brezinski, founder of Pei Wei and Bengal Coast
Yaser Khalaf, owner of Baboush and Medina
Misery Loves Company restaurant group, owner of Proof + Pantry and Madrina
John Franke, of Front Burner Restaurants
Uno Immanivong, of Chino Chinatown
Anastasia Quinones, of Alma and Komali
Press Waffle Co.
Larry Williams, of Amberjax
“We believe Legacy Hall will be the most innovative food hall to date, and we plan for the next one to be even better,” DeWitt says.
