Food Halls Are Quietly Reshaping How Americans Eat Out—Here’s What’s Driving the Shift

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The next time you’re debating dinner plans with friends who can’t agree on a restaurant, the answer might already be waiting in your neighborhood. Food halls—those sprawling, multi-vendor spaces where a sushi craving and a taco obsession can coexist peacefully—are expanding across the country at a pace that suggests this isn’t just a passing fad.

According to Colicchio Consulting’s “State of Food Halls 2026” report, the segment grew nearly 25% between 2023 and 2025. Additionally, developers have more than 100 new food hall projects in the pipeline nationwide, with a mix of urban and suburban locations underway.

What makes a food hall different from a food court

If your mental image involves mall food courts with fluorescent lighting and chain restaurants, think again. 

Per FoodHalls.org, “Unlike traditional food courts, which primarily feature...