Charlotte's new food hall announces new tenants, including a local food-truck chef

Tompkins Hall, the massive new development in Optimist Park between uptown and NoDa, has announced three more food companies for its food hall in a restored textile mill at 340 E. 16th St.

The best-known name for Charlotte diners is Papi Queso, Brian Stockholm's popular grilled-cheese food truck. Stockholm plans to have a 645-foot stall that will be set up like a modern luncheonette, with bar stools, an open kitchen and vintage tiles. The food will be custom-made grilled cheese sandwiches with seasonal and local touches. This is Stockholm's first brick-and-mortar location since starting the food truck in 2012.

The other two vendors are both coming from the Tampa area: AVA, with Italian food and Neapolitan-style pizza, and Zukku Sushi, with sushi rolls, sushi burritos and poke bowls. Both have locations in Tampa's Armature Works, a restored factory with a public market that's similar to the Tompkins Hall project.

Fun fact: One of the co-owners of AVA is Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, and the original location has gotten high marks from Tampa Bay Times reviewer Laura Reiley.

When it's finished, Tompkins Hall will have a food hall with about 15 vendors, one to three restaurants, a large tasting room for Fonta Flora Brewery, as well as retail shops and offices for Duke Energy. The developers are Atlanta-based Paces Partners and Charlotte-based White Point Partners.

With the three new names, six vendors have been announced for the food hall — Bao + Broth from Bruce Moffett and Larry Schreiber; Aix, a rotisserie chicken stand from the owners of Aix En Provence; and Undercurrent Coffee. More announcements on the remaining half-dozen vendors and the restaurants are expected in the next few weeks.

This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 8:25 AM.