The Hall on Mag, a food hall concept that will feature multiple food vendors in a full-service space, is set to open next month at 801 Magazine St. in the building once home to Auction House Market.
Jamal Wilson, an entrepreneur who has opened food halls in other cities such as Tampa and Orlando, considers New Orleans the next logical step for his food hall concept.
Wilson’s professional career began in real estate. After flipping houses for a few years, Wilson wanted to build a team and a company. Wilson’s cousin gave him the idea to open a food hall.
“My cousin saw a story about a food hall boom and thought that would be a good idea for my business,” Wilson explained. “I did my research and fell in love with the idea of a food hall with a diverse selection of food and full service. I liked the idea of people coming to a food hall, sitting down, and ordering like they were at any other restaurant.”
According to a press release, The Hall opened its first location in Tampa in Fall 2017, most recently expanding into Orlando with The Hall on The Yard in Fall 2021. In addition to The Hall On Mag, Wilson plans to open his first eatery in Atlanta – The Hall on Ashford in the coming month, with further plans to subsequently open a second Atlanta location at The Grove.
Wilson is a frequent visitor to New Orleans. When the opportunity to open a food hall in New Orleans presented itself, he jumped at the chance.
“The opportunity was presented to a real estate agent who was the friend of a friend and the space was almost ready to go,” he said. “I like the Warehouse District. All of the restaurants in that area have done well and I thought that The Hall would fit well there.”
At the root of The Hall is diversity. Wilson wants to share different cuisines and tastes in one place so that the customer has a full range of food from which to choose.
The Hall On Mag’s initial line-up of tenants includes South & Common (Southern Faire comfort food), Amato Italia (Italian fusion with a modern twist), Ja Nai (Japanese street food and sushi), American Culture (Elevated American cuisine including creole, Asian and soul), Itzayana (Mexican street food) and El Greco (Mediterranean seafood concept).
One of the most important things to Wilson is that he wants anyone who visits The Hall on Mag to feel at home.
He said, “We want people to use the space how they want. If they prefer to walk up and take one of the seats at the bar and order there, they can. Otherwise, the customer will be greeted and seated by a host and will have the ability to order from any of the restaurants in The Hall and the food will be brought directly to them.”
The Hall on Mag will also have an event space. Dubbed The Library, it will offer more of a party ambiance than The Hall itself. It will be a place where people can get food and drinks and socialize in a comfortable space.
Wilson said that the response to The Hall on Mag’s opening has been positive, and he’s excited about bringing his food hall to New Orleans.
“We’re thankful and humbled by the opportunity,” he said. “We’re excited to be neighbors to Pêche and Sofia and all of the great restaurants in the area.”
