Local Kitchens to remodel; Spork closes food stand
Micro food hall company says diners craving orders ‘for here’
It’s been nine days since my last post. Thanks for your patience as I traveled. The Soroptimist convention in Bellevue, Washington was inspiring. The smoke in Bend, Oregon was not. The Davis air may be hot but at least it’s clear. Below is the news that rose to the top while I was gone.
→ Kitchen remodel: The micro food hall Local Kitchens is making some changes to allow more onsite dining.
The Davis location will soon expand to offer inside seating for 30, and patio seating for 12. The remodeling will begin Aug. 18. It will close for seven to 10 days while it makes the changes, an employee said Thursday.
The San Francisco-based company has a dozen locations in Northern California. Each features multiple brands under one roof. The company was originally geared toward takeout but is altering its concept to become more traditional, allowing for more “human connection,” according to one of its founders, Jon Goldsmith, who also helped launch DoorDash.
In a recent Substack post, he mentioned how the pandemic was a boon for ghost kitchens. These are restaurants without a storefront, operating out of low-rent commercial kitchens or as hidden, delivery-only brands inside an existing restaurant. (An example would be a delivery-only boba tea and dessert shop inside of a traditional Asian restaurant.)
Local Kitchens takes the ghost kitchen idea and turns it on its head. It features several up-and-coming restaurant brands at one site. In Davis, patrons order at a computer kiosk (or online), from nine different food styles. It’s set up mostly for takeout or delivery, with limited seating. The new design will bring more tables and chairs, with a more hospitable feel.
The Davis Commons site, at 500 First St., Suite 13a, has Boba Guys, Flavor Trippin’ stacked sandwiches, Humphry Slocombe ice cream, The Melt burgers and grilled cheese, Milk Bar desserts, Napalito Taqueria, Nash and Proper Nashville hot chicken, Square Pie Guys Detroit-style pizza, and Yalla Falafel. Check out the Davis offerings here.
In the post, Goldsmith said consumers are eating out more than ever, but are tired of doing so alone. While new technology can streamline the process, consumers still crave hospitality and community.
He added, “multi-brand restaurants can preserve the magic of food as a means to bring people together by participating in their local communities rather than acting as ‘dark’ digital-only infrastructure.” I say cheers to that.
