ORLANDO, Fla. — As food halls become more popular across Central Florida, several new ones are popping up — including The Hall on The Yard in Ivanhoe Village.

“We did our soft opening last week,” said Oscar Fernandes, chef at Pasion Orlando. “We got a great response.” 

Pasion is one of the nine restaurants sharing one big space.

Jamal Wilson, owner of The Hall on The Yard, spent several months traveling the country studying food halls to put his own twist on the concept of shared space.

“We kind of simplified it,” Wilson explained. “You’re greeted by a host. You sit down. You can order from any one of the different restaurants from one menu, and when your food is ready, we bring it to you.”

Ivanhoe Village welcomed the idea, Wilson said, and Orlando offered an ideal location as a metropolitan area and tourist destination. He also applied lessons learned through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“You want to be in dense areas where there are apartments and real estate,” he said. “When people are scared, they want to eat, but they don’t necessarily want to drive 15 minutes to eat.”

Wilson has a financing program at The Hall to help fund the dreams of local entrepreneurs.

“A 40-seat restaurant can be anywhere from $500,000 to post-COVID $1.5 million just to open, so with us, you’re able to get into a really nice restaurant that has 361 seats for about $100,000, including equipment.”

In addition to the full-service food hall, The Hall on the Yard features a self-pour beer garden, event space to rent out and options for parking, including validated parking and valet at night.