San Jose’s Downtown Food Hall has been kept under wraps until now.
Finally, just days or weeks before the projected opening on Santa Clara Street, the first tenants are emerging for this CloudKitchens project led by CEO Travis Kalanick, the co-founder of Uber, that’s been in the works for a few years.
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The just-unveiled website for the new venture (“our mission is to become your go-to spot for to-go meals”) says a modernized take on a traditional food hall is planned, with touch-screen kiosks and online ordering.
A global lineup of culinary concepts will be offered. Among the names are Monosushi, Forza Italian Kitchen, Y-Linh Sandwiches, Sophia’s Sweets, Silk Road Kitchen, Cosmic Cuisine Halal, Mercy Mediterranean, Sam & Curry, TeaZer, Azuma San Jose, Cinco Milpas and SLobster.
Many of the eateries are names new to the foodie public, but this would be the second location for Sam & Curry, a customized fast-casual eatery from industry veteran Sam Patel, who opened his first on North First Street in 2021.
Hints about the others come from under-construction menus and websites. Silk Road Kitchen, which posts an opening date of Dec. 20, fuses the flavors of Central Asia and Europe. Mercy Mediterranean posted its plans for breakfast burritos for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Sophia’s Sweets will be making a chocolate raspberry mousse Cake, tiramisu and other desserts. SLobster plans to offer crab cakes and other seafood besides its namesake lobster rolls. Forza Italian lists a dozen pasta entrees and Y-Ling a dozen banh mi.
According to documents on file with San Jose city planners, the food hall may include up to 26 kitchens. New signs on the building show the main entrance would be at 82 E. Santa Clara St., while the food delivery entrance would be around the corner on South Third Street.
A real estate venture led by Kalanick paid $7.3 million for the historic building in 2018. Over the decades, the property had been a boxing gym, an Odd Fellows hall and a furniture store.
Details: 82 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose; https://sjdowntownfoodhall.com/
