Shuttered Ivanhoe Village food hall to reopen this summer with new name

ORLANDO, Fla. - Less than two months since the Hall on the Yard in Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village closed, entrepreneur Peter Rounce said he was bringing the Orlando food hall back to life. "Basically, we're going to build a community that's going to be focused on culinary, on drinks, entertainment, and really activating the space to be a compelling experience."

Rounce said the new enterprise will be called City Food Hall, Orlando. Rounce said he'd spent his career in the restaurant business and has been involved in other food halls throughout the southeast. He said this space had everything. "It's nine vendors downstairs, the bar, and then upstairs - you'll see in a minute - a meeting space, banquet hall, all that kind of stuff. Outside, we have a really cool grass area for events, as well."

The previous business closed in April, less than two years after opening. The landlord sued the previous owner for breach of lease, and the owner filed for bankruptcy more than a year ago, citing to pandemic-related construction delays. They also owed thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

Rounce said this would be a fresh start, bringing in the best local talent he can find. "I'll go to the food truck park, and I'll look at the one truck that has 60 people in line, that's the guy I want. So we engage local chef-driven talent."

Each crew will get its own vendor space that they can customize to their needs. Rounce said he hoped to make it as affordable as possible for vendors to sell their food. Upstairs he planned to install golf simulators and operate a kitchen where chefs can hold classes.

Rounce hoped to open City Food Hall, Orlando, in the next six to eight weeks. Residents said it would be great to see this building bustle again. "I'm excited to see what new vendors are going to show up and how it'll turn out," said Zach Sadler, who lived nearby. I think it'll be a good move."