Last year, food halls were all the rage. A wave of new openings from Minneapolis to Houston heralded a booming niche in the hospitality industry. What used to be touristy rarities have become landmarks of Southern Californian cuisine, we reported back in September 2019.
A lot can change in a year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended all expectations for the Southern California food scene. With most indoor dining prohibited, takeout has surged as have food delivery apps. Every day brings new stories of restaurants closing or desperately revising their menus and business models. Food halls face many of the same obstacles.