April 18, 2019
Optimist Hall adds two new food tenants
The turn-of-the-century textile mill turned food hall is filling up quickly with diverse selections
The exterior of Optimist Hall, a food hall expected to open in early summer. Kristen Wile/UP
Optimist Hall has added two more food hall tenants to its opening roster: Felix’s Empanadas and Village Juice Company.
Felix Empanadas is an Argentinian empanada food truck that is opening its first brick-and-mortar at Optimist Hall. Chef and owner Felix Godward is planning to expand his food truck menu to also include traditional Argentinian dishes like entrana (skirt steak with chimichurri) and milanesas (breaded and fried pork, chicken, and steak) in addition to the food truck’s savory and sweet empanadas.
“Optimist Hall is the perfect place to bring my vision to a permanent location in Charlotte,” Godward says.
Village Juice Company is a quick-serve plant-based food and cold pressed juice company based in Winston-Salem. Village Juice Co. serves juices, smoothies, salads, grain bowls, and toasts. Optimist Hall will be the third location for the North Carolina business.
“We’re thrilled these two new concepts are joining a diverse group of food hall tenants. Our mission is to create a community gathering space centered around the best of Charlotte’s food scene in one place, and Village Juice Company and Felix’s Empanadas help achieve this by bringing two unique perspectives to our line-up,” says Erik Johnson of White Point Partners.
Optimist Hall is a White Point Partners and Pace Properties project redeveloping the former gingham mill in the Optimist Park neighborhood between Uptown and NoDa. The food hall is planned for an early summer 2019 opening. Read more about the tenants coming to the food hall here. –Justin Burke-Samson
