SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - The grand opening of San Diego's first food hall is just a few months away, and on Thursday, the public got a first-look at the retailers that will be offering their food, wine and coffee at Liberty Public Market.
From Seattle's Pike Place to Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, a local restaurateur traveled the country for public markets to get ideas for a San Diego public market.
The idea started three-years-ago, and now, David Spatafore is teaming up with the Liberty Station developer to build San Diego's first food hall at Liberty Station.
"I see an old building that is ready to be re-purposed for San Diego," said David Spatafore from Blue Bridge Hospitality and Liberty Public Market curator.
San Diego restaurateur David Spatafore owns several Coronado restaurants, but is taking a multi-million dollar project called Liberty Public Market.
"It's a food centric market. Things that have to do with food and home, obviously flowers, wine, cheese and meats," he said.
Buying local is trending, but the concept of a 'food hall' has been stamped in cities across the country.
"The market really is a great representation of the city," said Spatafore.
Inside the 22,000-square-foot-building will be about 30 shops. All local, and will include a specialty butcher, craft coffee, and a fish monger.
The shops were all hand-picked to put the small artisan in their first brick and mortar shop.
The public market will be in a prime location, and Stone Brewery has already shown its support as a neighbor.
It will be a place where tourists can shop, eat and mingle alongside the locals.
"It's time for San Diego to have a market," said Spatafore.
Vendors will be paying a base rent which covers the square footage of their shop.
The Liberty Public Market plans to open in October.
Vendors includes:
Cecilia's Taqueria