A new food hall has opened in Indianapolis, designed to be an incubator space for independent specialty food and beverage businesses.
“We wanted people to be able to get out of making food in their home and move forward in a retail environment,” said Craig Baker, concept developer and general manager of the AMP, or Artisan Marketplace. The 40,000-square-foot food hall is located in the 16 Tech Innovation District, which is dedicated to innovation and economic opportunity.
There are 23 businesses currently participating. They include Circle City Sweets, Boba & Everything, Poke Guru, and Tinker Coffee Co. Of these local entrepreneurs, 65 percent are BIPOC and/or female owners and 56 percent are new businesses.
“Over half our people are segueing in from the cottage industry, working from home,” Baker pointed out.
Many of the businesses operate out of modular containers, which was deliberate, Baker said, “because when you put a roof over something it feels like it’s somebody’s.” The cost of operating out of a 20-foot modular container is $20 a day, and the restaurant spaces with hoods are $75 daily. This, said Baker, is far less than the going rate in Indianapolis and includes all utilities and internet. “We were built to be a true incubator, but it was important that people pay some kind of rent so they’re used to having some fiscal responsibility.”
Cindy Hawkins, owner of Circle City Sweets, said the AMP is introducing her products to a new side of Indianapolis. And Joanna Wilson, owner of Punkin’s Pies Sweet Treats said it’s given her “an opportunity to step out and explore the world of being a business owner.”
The AMP is not just a retail location; it’s designed to be a community space and cultural center where visitors will “engage with the entire space,” said Baker. It will also feature concerts; a demo kitchen run by Purdue University with classes on topics like urban farming, bee keeping, and aquaculture; a beer garden; and some kind of game space such as ax throwing or bowling.
The AMP had a soft opening in early June, followed by a grand opening, and now sees 400 to 500 people at lunch time, though fewer in the evening because it’s not in a residential neighborhood.
“We gave everyone three weeks to get their feet underneath them, so they could get momentum before the big opening,” Baker said. “We’re an incubator so if we just popped the doors open we were not setting people up for success.”
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Image: Circle City Sweets