110825-WPVI-FYI-GATHERFOODHALLrev

[Music] Welcome. >> At the just opened Gather Food Hall, the mission is in the name >> to become the go-to place for people to gather and having food be kind of our connector. >> There's Peruvian comfort food. A contemporary Mexican taco bar. >> This is Tonita Taco. >> Fried chicken and donuts along with fast casual Indian. This is butter chicken >> and Cambodian flavors from a chef who got her start at the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park. >> I'm really excited to be a part of this. >> You come here the whole week and try something different every day and you can all eat together >> for Federal Donuts and Chicken CEO Jeff Benjamin. Gather is the realization of a year'slong dream. >> Very colorful >> to give emerging chefs a platform to grow their business. There are tons of people doing amazing food all over the neighborhoods of this city and they just haven't had their break yet. >> Now the sky is the limit, right? >> Husband and wife Aldo Oando and Brisna Roas have been working in restaurants since coming to the US in 2016. Last year they decided to pop up with their own business called Mucho Peru. >> This our >> our dream is our cow sala. But when their boss learned of their side hustle, >> he say, "Okay, I don't need you anymore." And we say, "Okay, >> they submitted a proposal to open a stall at Gather >> and they say, "Okay, you got it." Oh my god. >> Both Mucho Peru and Sabai Food got grants from the city. >> They get essentially part of their initial costs covered >> along with training and mentorship. >> It's an amazing opportunity coming from the Southeast Asian market into something like this. It was a step up for me. >> Pidaw Yang graduated from Drexel University with a degree in hospitality. >> I worked at the Four Seasons. I worked at Morimoto. >> A few years ago, she launched her own business. >> This is my tamarind pineapple honey glaze. >> While her wings are popular, it's her lemongrass cheese steak that put Sabai food on the map. >> Check it out. >> It's chicken or beef marinated in lemongrass paste. >> In our culture is called kung >> and topped with pickled papaya salad. and her homemade pepper skin chips. >> I make each and every bag. I have five different flavors. When you open it, kind of looks like a gift, right? Delicious. >> At El Miklan Taco Bar, Chef Cello Monzanares is celebrating the food of his ancestors. >> The Miklan means like the afterlife >> with dishes like the pork adobo based tonita taco. >> That taco is inspired by my auntie Tonita. She passed away like 5 years ago. >> It's made with guacamole, pickled cabbage, and cilantro. And we had the salsa taker. It's very spicy, so be careful with the sauce. >> With gather food hall, these small restaurants have big plans. >> You can't work towards your dream and build it. >> Pankage Kumar got his start at the start of the pandemic. >> I had no plan B. >> Then he saw his kids piling food into a bowl to nosh on during classes over Zoom. >> And one day I just scoop it up and ate it. I was like, "Wow, it's good food." He launched Bold Masala from a cloud kitchen serving bowls, wraps, snacky sides, and lassis. >> And we opened our first location in Wilmington. >> Just 5 years later, this is his ninth brick and mortar and he's franchising. >> Food Hall is a great concept for people like us who does not have a million dollar to start a business. >> Gather is giving back to the community as well through a program called Believe in Students. >> There's some staggering rates of food insecurity amongst college students. The new food hall is located inside the old Philadelphia Bulletin building at 30th and Market Streets. >> Our proximity here to the train station is kind of phenomenal. >> There's a bar where you can grab a drink, a lounge where you can work, and TVs to catch a game. >> It should be a destination.