From Empty to Epic

Longmont’s Parkway Food Hall revival

By Irene Middleman Thomas  »  Photos by Matt Maenpaa

Something exciting happened over Memorial Day weekend in Longmont’s Parkway Promenade. In its previous lives, this site was a Safeway, a Lucky’s and the now defunct Alfalfa’s—empty and forlorn. Happily, this first anchored retail strip center in Longmont has been reborn as the Parkway Food Hall, a 16,000-square-foot all-day foodie destination. Parkway also hosts live music, pop-up events and an arcade area.

As I polished off my Nutella gelato bar dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts, from Hip Pops, I sighed with pleasure. It was the perfect ending to a meal of a signature ‘Triple B taco’ from Chile con Quesadilla. My first venture to the Parkway Food Hall was a delicious success, not only for me, but for the multi-aged throngs of hungry folks relaxing comfortably inside and out on the patio. Parkway is certainly designed for lingering. 

In recent years, food halls have turned the food court model upside down, explains Pat Garza, owner of Dallas-based operating partner National Food Hall Solutions. Food halls are a carefully curated collection of niche restaurant concepts, usually immersive and experiential. “Mall food courts were simply an amenity for the malls in which they were located,” Garza says. “Food halls are now the attraction.”

Parkway has eight unique dining venues (none of which are with national chains), a circular indoor/outdoor bar, three retail spaces, indoor/outdoor seating and a 40-person event space. The eight chef-driven vendors were selected from over 100 applicants, says Garza. 

Those chosen include Pie Dog (artisanal pizzas from the Niwot-based Farow team), Hesher Barbecue (fusion barbecue), Chile con Quesadilla (eclectic Tex-Mex), Cleaver & Co. (Tennessee-style barbecue), Shawarma Shack (Middle Eastern cuisine), Baa Hachi Japanese street food), Spice Fusion (Indian food) and the aforementioned Hip Pops, which serves gourmet gelato ‘popsicles.’ There’s also a bar with a full wine, beer and cocktail list. Daily from 3-5pm, the Parkway bar offers happy hour with $6 well drinks, $8 margaritas and local beers starting at $5; as well as a late-night happy hour from 9-11pm.

“There was nothing like this in Longmont,” said Chris Nehls, vice president of Blackfox Parkway Associates, the company that has owned the building for more than 30 years. He notes that while Denver has one of the highest rates of food halls in the country, Longmont had none—until now. “It is an amazing way to build community, support entrepreneurs and create an environment where there is something for everyone,” he says.

It has its community’s support, too. “I had the opportunity to attend the ribbon cutting for the new Parkway Food Hall and it was such a fun event,” says Longmont Council lmember Shiquita Yarbrough. “The space is so open and welcoming for people to gather and the diversity of food was amazing to see. This is a great new option for hungry Longmont folks.”

Winner of Top Taco Denver in 2021 and 2022, Chile con Quesadilla was one of the first to sign on. Chef and co-owner Christina Richardson began her food truck business with her husband, Jason, two days before the pandemic closed brick-and-mortar dining venues in March 2020. One of the few success stories of that period, Chile con Quesadilla became a booming business, quickly. 

A friend told them about the upcoming Parkway project, and the Richardsons were enticed. 

“We are open to growth,” Christina remarks, and notes that the company now has a large restaurant in Brighton, with the food trucks primarily used for corporate and private events. The Richardsons also traveled to Dallas to observe the National Food Hall Solution’s flagship food hall, and they were duly impressed. “We did our homework, and Longmont is the perfect location,” she says.

“Once we were introduced to the idea of Parkway Food Hall, we fell in love with the concept. We loved the affordability and flexibility of the way the leases are set up, allowing more chefs to have a seat at the table,” she adds. The Parkway venue stands out among the company’s locations by offering exclusive dishes like chile shrimp and chile cheese fries, both of which have quickly become customer favorites.

“We’re excited to bring this new destination to Longmont residents and visitors, and we’re thrilled to help eight local chefs and restaurateurs achieve success, whether it’s through testing a new concept, creating their first brick-and-mortar following food truck success or setting up a second, third or fourth location,” said Garza. “Things are tough for restaurateurs these days, but we’re living in a new era where the more expensive traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants aren’t the only route to success for chefs.”

“It’s going just as well as we hoped,” Richardson reports. “Even better.”

Parkway Food Hall is located at 700 Ken Pratt Boulevard. To learn more, visit parkwayfoodhall.com.