Queen Victoria Market has today announced it is actively seeking expressions of interest for seven food and beverage operators for its planned, revitalised, state-of-the-art Food Hall.

Working closely with global food and hospitality consultants, Future Food, Queen Victoria Market is looking for confident and capable operators who can showcase a local produce focus within unique food and beverage specialties.

Expected to open from July 2022, the redevelopment of the Food Hall will provide a new social destination within the Market. More than just a place to grab a bite to eat between shopping, the new Food Hall will showcase Melbourne’s unrivalled foodie culture, complete with a dedicated area for customers to relax and soak up the great Market atmosphere.

Queen Victoria Market is calling for a diverse range of cuisine styles and beverage offerings across takeaway, casual dining and restaurants. Potential cuisine and food specialties may include all-day cafes, modern Asian kitchens, taquerias, burger and sandwich bars, wood-fired pizzas, ramen and noodles, sweets and treats as well as juices and healthy choices.

Queen Victoria Market CEO Stan Liacos says: “We are excited to be working with Future Food to continue to deliver memorable food experiences that have become so synonymous with the Market. We cannot wait to expand our food and beverage offer at Queen Victoria Market in our new, state-of-the-art Food Hall.”

The heritage site, on the corner of Victoria and Queen Streets, is set in one of Melbourne’s most densely populated and fastest growing neighbourhoods and will provide operators with tremendous opportunity for extended trading hours, year-round appeal and street-front dining.

The Market’s expression of interest application asks operators to demonstrate their ability across six key criteria areas:

• Background and experience
• Food and beverage concept
• Product offering and service style
• Company details and sustainability policy
• Operations and logistics
• Financial costings

Expressions of interest are now open and will close on Thursday 30 September. Shortlisted applicants will be notified in late October and will be invited to present their offer in a formal presentation in December. Successful operators will be notified in January 2022.

For more information and to access the expression of interest document and criteria, contact Allan Forsdick at Future Food.