Operator Selected for The Packing District Food Hall
Renowned Chef Akhtar Nawab Will Lead Team and Choose Local Vendors
ORLANDO, Fla. – [March 30, 2022] – Dr. Phillips Charities, the community builder of The Packing District, has selected Chef Akhtar Nawab and his group, Hospitality HQ (HHQ) as the operator of the 17,300 sq. ft. food hall planned in the historic Southern Box building near the corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Princeton Street.
Hospitality HQ, a creative consulting and management group, is currently the fastest-growing food hall management company in the country, with critically-acclaimed restaurant and communal dining projects located in Brooklyn (Alta Calidad), New Orleans (Otra Vez), Chicago,(Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall), Philadelphia, (Patchwork at the Hyatt Centric), Tennessee, (Marble City Market) and many more.
Acclaimed New York-based chef, Akhtar Nawab, is a first-generation Indian-American with classical training in Italian and French and is now known for his Mexican cuisine. He worked in some of New York’s best-known restaurants before venturing out on his own. Nawab has been featured in various publications, including Food & Wine, Bon Appétit and Eater, and has appeared on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Chef Akhtar is in partnership with Hospitality HQ to operate his own restaurants and dining projects across the country.
“We are thrilled to have Chef Akhtar and his team on board with The Packing District Food Hall,” said Ken Robinson, President/CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities. “Through a national search, we discovered HHQ and believe their commitment to a high quality, chef driven experience aligns with our vision for the food hall. They understand our deep history in this area and are focused on identifying and supporting local chefs and providing them the opportunity to start or grow their business.”
The Packing District Food Hall will house 11 vendors chosen by the HHQ team, representing a diverse offering of food with a focus on immigrant cuisine. HQ Hospitality will provide comprehensive support including menu engineering, marketing, and accounting to the local chefs and their businesses.
“We are proud to provide a future home to a number of local vendors launching their first brick and mortar locations or taking the chance and expanding their business with us at the forthcoming food hall in the historic Packing District in Orlando. We look forward to taking this journey with them together as a team, and establishing ourselves as a part of this incredible community” said Chef Akhtar Nawab.
Construction is planned to begin on the food hall in August 2022 with a completion estimated in the second quarter of 2023.
The food hall will be one component of a larger site plan for the redevelopment of the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Princeton St. including:
- Office Building – 43,000 SF
- A seven story hotel
- A micro-brewery – 3,600 SF
- Event/ Pre-function space – 4,950 SF
- Signature restaurant and bar – 4,000 SF
- Large parking garage
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About The Packing District
The Packing District is a 202-acre transformational project centered at the intersection of Princeton Street and Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, preserving and recapturing a defining part of our community’s history while providing a vibrant base of living and commerce. Historic buildings will be repurposed, integrated with new uses, and connected to dedicated public spaces by a new and bold plan for urban trails and a new 100-acre public park (gifted to the City of Orlando) dedicated to health and wellness, education, arts and community, and sustainability. Preparations began to ready the site for construction in 2018. The project will continue to mature over the next 10-15 years as laid out in the four-phase master plan. To learn more, visit www.packingdistrictorlando.com and follow The Packing District on Facebook and Instagram.
About Hospitality HQ
Hospitality HQ (HHQ) is a creative consulting and management group offering bespoke
solutions for culinary-driven concepts across the United States. Helmed by award-winning chef, restaurateur, TV personality and cookbook author Akhtar Nawab, HHQ’s dynamic and comprehensive team prioritizes high quality service at all levels, producing systems for food and beverage concepts which consistently optimize guest experience. HHQ is currently the fastest-growing food hall management company in the country, with critically acclaimed restaurant and communal dining projects in more than 15 states.
