Afood hall is a large standalone location or department store section where food and drinks are sold.[1]
Unlike food courts made up of fast food chains, food halls typically mix local artisan restaurants, butcher shops and other food-oriented boutiques under one roof.[2] Food halls can also be unconnected to department stores and operate independently, often in a separate building.[citation needed]
The term "food hall" in the British sense is increasingly used in the United States.[3][4][5] In some Asia-Pacific countries, "food hall" is equivalent to a North American "food court", or the terms are used interchangeably. A food court means a place where the fast food chain outlets are located in a shopping mall.[6]
A gourmet food hall may also exist in the form of what is nominally a public market or a modern market hall, for example in Stockholm's Östermalm Saluhall[7]orMexico City's Mercado Roma.
