‘So many options’: Warehouse Food Hall opens with instant fans, happy shop owners
Mike Gamblin and Carmen Johnson live downtown and have been watching the Warehouse Food Hall as construction took place throughout the past year. They peeked at its progress daily.
So on Tuesday, the food hall’s first full day open, they were ready to have lunch there. They bought bowls from Wok N’ Roll — “delicious,” they each said.
“I think we’ll try every place eventually,” Gamblin said in an interview.
The 29,000 square feet of retail space that is now the Warehouse, at 370 S. 8th St., just south of the Grove Plaza between Broad and Front streets, underwent a $20 million renovation led by Wisconsin-based Hendricks Commercial Properties and Geronimo Hospitality Group. Part of Hendricks’ three-building BoDo complex, it was previously mostly occupied by Urban Outfitters.
According to the landlord, the owners of the businesses leasing space there, and customers, its BoDo location is just about perfect to attract people downtown.
The site had 11 food and beverage vendors at Tuesday’s opening and three more on the way. Eventually, it’ll offer an indoor entrance to Treefort Music Hall, in the former Office Depot building, and Cinema West, in the former Regal Edwards multiplex, two other Hendricks tenants in BoDo.
On Monday, business owners prepared for the rush of customers by taking care of last-minute details like setting up their Wi-Fi, cleaning their kitchens and making sure their appliances worked. On Tuesday, most of the tables were full with people by 11:45 a.m. Music played from speakers, and conversation filled the air.
The longest lines were at Neighbor Tim’s BBQ and Bao Boi, which sells Asian-style steamed buns.
Kate Zinchuk brought her kids to the Warehouse after hearing about it on Instagram. They ate smoothie bowls from Rush Bowls, which was already one of their favorite restaurants. They’re already planning a return trip to try more food. Zinchuk was also there for lunch with Yuliya Androshchuk.
“This place will be so cool for a family,” Androshchuk said. “There’s so many options. I think Boise really needed something like this. It’s gonna be awesome. I think it’s gonna be huge for our area.”
Variety of food options
General Manager Steve Steading said the Warehouse specifically planned offerings to cater to a variety of food interests.
That attracted Wok N’ Roll Owner Jessica Senet. She has a big extended family, and there’s usually about 20 people whenever they go out to eat. The food hall concept means people in families like hers don’t need to agree on the type of food they want to eat.
And as a business owner who also operates a food truck, it’s an attractive opportunity to have her first brick-and-mortar location without needing a wait staff and having the overhead of an independent location.
“I just love the idea of food halls,” Senet said.
Senet, whose mother moved from Laos, describes Wok N’ Roll as ”modern Asian’ food. She likes being free to change the menu frequently in a food truck and plans to do the same at the Warehouse.
Stephanie Bennett, owner of Waffle Love, had been eyeing a location in downtown Boise before hearing about the Warehouse. Waffle Love has a location in Meridian that opened 2½ years ago.
“This is just the perfect location,” Bennett said. “So excited to be here.”
“I absolutely see it as a community gathering spot,” Bennett said. “I think that we will be around for a long time.”
Destination of South 8th Street
The name of the Warehouse is a nod to the building’s original use. Hendricks Commercial Properties CEO Rob Gerbitz said his company’s three objectives are to stimulate growth, create jobs and honor history.
Along one of the walls in the food hall is a mural displaying a map of Boise’s original town site with block numbers and photos showing the city’s history.
“The goal is really to be that destination of all of 8th Street on the south side,” Gerbitz said.
List of food vendors
Here are the vendors:
Anzalone Pizza
Bao Boi
Caffé D’Arte
Camp Cocktail Bar
Gaston’s Bakery
Neighbor Tim’s BBQ
Rush Bowls
The Loading Dock
Wok N’ Roll
Waffle Love
Freshie’s Lobster Co. (opening later)
Piedaho (opening later)
Last Call Mexican Baja Eatery (opening later)
The food hall is open 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Some outlets open earlier, including: Caffé D’Arte (6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. Sunday), Rush Bowls (8 a.m. daily), Gaston’s Bakery (8 a.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday) and Waffle Love (8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday).
Caffé D’Arte was in BoDo before the food hall renovation. The STIL ice cream shop is still operating on the south side of the building, though technically not as part of the food hall.
