Two well-known local restaurant owners will be managing a new food hall on the North Shore when it opens next spring.
ARPA Investments has announced Steve and Jeff Mitton will be managing the new food hall at Spirit Square. The Mitton brothers own Mittz Kitchen on Victoria Street and the Twisted Olive Steakhouse on Rogers Way.
The food hall on Tranquille Road will have 10 food “stalls,” including an anchor restaurant, two bars and seven other smaller food stalls that are 80 square feet in size.
The Mitton brothers say they plan to bring in locally-owned restaurants that offer a wide variety of menus. The 10 food stalls will work out of a large commissary kitchen.
“It’s a great opportunity for newer restaurants to take this as a next step before they commit to running their own larger restaurant because we know how much of a risk it is. This model helps to limit some of the risks and test concepts,” says Jeff.
The food hall will have room for up to 222 guests, and potentially will have more depending on outdoor seating.
“Although right now we’re in the midst of a pandemic, we see a bright future for people to come together to eat and socialize, which is why we’re moving forward on this project,” Steve says, adding there are nearly 450 food halls across North America compared to about 140 four years ago.
The Kamloops food hall will have all necessary COVID-19 safety protocols in place when it opens, according to the Mitton brothers.
ARPA partner Joshua Knaak says the Mittons have decades of experience in the restaurant industry, and says his team is thrilled to be able to bring them in.
“Having been in the restaurant business for years, they understand not only the challenges of the industry, but also the ingredients for success, and we know under their stewardship, it’s going to have every chance of success,” Knaak says.