Chancery Market Food Hall & Bar, a new dining destination opening this fall in downtown Wilmington, has announced that a fried chicken concept from celebrity chef David Chang will be one of the vendors at the site that’s still under construction.
The 12,000-square-foot culinary collective at the 12-story building at 1313 N. Market St., known as Hercules Plaza when it was built in 1984, also has lined up a Wilmington vegan vendor and another operator will sell Indian street foods served on flatbreads and in rice bowls.
This is a second food hall for Wilmington. DECO, a 13,000 square-food food hall with eight food stalls at 111 W. 10th St., has been operating since April 2019. It was developed by The Buccini/Pollin Group and is just blocks away from Chancery Market.
The 1313 N. Market St. building, and a nearby 23-story site being redeveloped at 1201 N. Market St., the tallest building in the city, are owned by TSG Hospitality LLC. Both buildings house several prominent law firms, including Potter Anderson & Corroon, one of the oldest and largest in Delaware; Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr; and Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell.
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HQ Hospitality, a Brooklyn-based culinary consulting and food hall management firm led by chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and cofounder Akhtar Nawab, is overseeing the management of the market and food hall.
What is Fuku?
So far, the best-known vendor at Chancery Market will be Fuku, a fried chicken venture from chef, author and TV star David Chang, known for founding the Momofuku restaurant empire which has restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Toronto. Chang also has starred in such culinary based TV shows as “Ugly Delicious” on Netflix and “The Mind of a Chef” on PBS. He also hosts a podcast, The David Chang Show.
Some Philadelphia Eagles fans will be familiar with Fuku’s spicy fried chicken sandwich, an habanero-brined thigh served on a Martin’s potato roll and garnished with pickles and butter. It was first available at Eagles games at Lincoln Financial Field in 2018, but Fuku is not listed as one of the concessions this year at the Philadelphia stadium.
What started out as a “secret sandwich” at Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York and grew into a fast-casual food business.
Fuku offers chicken sandwiches, along with salads, sides, and slushies at shops in New York, California, Georgia, Kentucky and Texas, and stadiums from Washington, D.C., to Seattle, Washington.
A Fuku shop that had opened on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia is no longer operating.
What else is coming to Chancery Market Food Hall & Bar?
In addition to Fuku, Nawab said another new business at Chancery Market is Rooted AF, a quick-service vegan experience from the owners of Wilmington’s The Juice Joint. It will sell “multicultural fare,” herbal products, fresh cold-pressed juices and smoothies.
And a third confirmed business is KatiRoll Wala, which currently serves Indian street food staples at a food hall in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Kati rolls, a food originating from Kolkata, West Bengal, India, include grilled chicken thighs, farmer’s cheese or chickpeas, potatoes and cauliflower wrapped in a paratha, an Indian flatbread, along with sliced onions and sauces, like cilantro or butter masala. The stand also will sell a variety of rice bowls.
Nawab said he is still looking for more concepts and encourages vendor applications from minority-owned businesses and chefs who enjoy delving into global cuisine and exploring other creative foods.
“Our goal is for our kitchens to serve as a springboard for talented, local vendors looking to take their businesses to the next level and to create a thriving, communal space where visitors feel welcome,” Nawab said in a prepared statement.
What days will the food hall be open?
Plans call for Chancery Market, Food Hall & Bar to be open daily.
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A 10,000-square-foot communal plaza will feature outdoor dining with seating for 150 with gardens and landscaping designed by the Delaware Center for Horticulture, as well as activities and games.
The site also will feature the indoor/outdoor Nectar Bar, along with public and private dining spaces and seating for 233 people. Onsite garage parking will be available.
“Chancery Market represents the start of exciting redevelopment projects for 1313 N. Market and 1201 N. Market,” Scott Johnson, representing ownership of 1313 N. Market and TSG Hospitality LLC, said in a prepared statement. “As our tenants continue to return to the office environment, Chancery Market and the adjacent outdoor plaza will be an exciting amenity for professionals in the city, as well as a welcoming gathering place for our wider community and visitors.”
Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico
