Chef Akhtar Nawab and his group, Hospitality HQ (HHQ) will be 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.
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.
Construction is planned to begin on the food hall in August 2022 with a completion estimated in the second quarter of 2023.
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.”
“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.
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