City Life

Eat Drink RI Gave a Preview of its Central Market

A sneak peek at the future home for local food producers

Posted

On Saturday, August 6, Eat Drink RI held a popup preview of its future Central Market. Located at the former site of the Shooters nightclub, more than 20 local vendors and food producers assembled under the shade to breathe new life into the barren concrete structure.

“There are markets like this all over the country,” explains David Dadekian, founder of Eat Drink RI. “I started kicking this idea around a few years ago and everyone was very positive about it. I knew it was going to take a large amount of capital and I didn’t have that.”

Almost three years and one Rhode Island Foundation Innovation Fellowship grant later and the idea is starting to build some momentum. Union Studio designed concepts for the market, which were on display to greet hungry foodies as they made their way into the preview. Dadekian described his vision for a three level complex that will be home to storefronts, a mixed-use event space and a demo kitchen. As a retail and events center, and the nucleus for the local food economy in Rhode Island, the Central Market will serve as a hub for a local food economy that continues to earn recognition on a national level. Vendors on hand for the preview included Walrus and Carpenter Oysters, Fox Point Pickling Company, New Harvest Coffee and Yacht Club Soda, and some of the participating business have expressed interest in a storefront in the finished complex. “We want to be flexible about what we can fit in here,” he says. “Right now we’re in the process of refining the project.”

There’s still plenty of work to be done in getting the Central Market up and running, but as crowds made their way through the pop up market, including Mayor Elorza, it’s easy to imagine this as another in the city’s growing roster of dining destinations. 

eat drink ri, David Dadekian, eat drink ri central market, shooters nightclub, india point park, providence to newport ferry, east side, wickenden street, east side monthly tony pacittiyacht club soda, new harvest coffee roasters, fox point pickling company, walrus and carpenter oysetrs, mayor jorge elorza

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here



X