Economy
Can an Upscale Food Hall Change the Way a City Eats?
Downtown Birmingham is poised to get a new grocery store and sleek food hub. Could they reverse the neighborhood’s status as a food desert?
Birmingham’s downtown core is on the cusp of pretty radical food change. The Alabama city is poised to open its first downtown chain grocery store in memory, and the historic Pizitz department store—which has sat vacant since 1988—is coming back to life next month with an 18,000-square-foot food hall serving everything from ramen to poke to Ethiopian cuisine. On the ground floor of the mixed-use building, the Pizitz Food Hall will offer two restaurants, a bar, and 13 food stalls, including a food incubator project to encourage local entrepreneurs.
Now, the question is: Can these new developments appeal to residents across demographic groups, and chip away at the city’s food insecurity?