Location of Bourdain Market Should Be Announced in Just a Few Weeks

Yesterday an assortment of major new details emerged about Bourdain Market, the huge international food hall that Parts Unknown host/writer/all around food celebrity Anthony Bourdain plans to open in New York within the next year. Speaking at the World Street Food Congress in Singapore, Bourdain's business partner Stephen Werther revealed, among other things, that the food hall will take its design cues from Blade Runner, and include a farmers market with an oyster bar, bakery, tapas bar, and much more. Following the announcement, Werther did an interview with the Business Times, which means that this morning we have even more details to add to the pile.

First, and by far most importantly, Werther reveals that the location of the food hall, which so far has been a tightly kept secret, will be announced in just a few weeks. The space, he says, is about 100,000 square feet total, and will house around 100 vendors, which is twice what Bourdain said it would hold last year. It's also now slated to open in early 2016, though previous reports had it opening this year. Werther also says that the promised beer garden will be a rooftop beer garden. Surely all these facts together must give some clue of where Bourdain Market will be (if you think you know, drop us a line).

Meanwhile, it sounds like the vendors still mostly haven't been decided on, but Werther promises, as Bourdain has before, that the focus is on authenticity. That means some vendors will serve food for just a few weeks, others will relocate permanently from their home country, and still others will just come over to train the staff for their stall.

As Bourdain has said before, there will also be a different "Global Spotlight" in the market every quarter. This will focus on a city that Bourdain has visited on one of his shows, and, says Werther, "we will work with the tourism boards to create a complete experience of the place. Not just prepared food or packaged food but serving ware, cookware, cookbooks, cooking demos, everything to promote the area."

Also, for those curious, Werther reveals that the whole project will cost over $20 or $30 million, but that "there were more people willing to finance it than we need."