Gather Food Hall to open Oct. 31 with new Federal Donuts at Bulletin Building in University City

Gather Food Hall, the long-awaited dining hub at the Bulletin Building in University City, will open Oct. 31 with a new Federal Donuts stand, a newspaper-themed bar and a program offering low-cost meals to college students experiencing food insecurity.

Brandywine Realty Trust, the developer behind the neighborhood's Schuylkill Yards district, has been planning the food hall at the former Philadelphia Bulletin printing press facility for nearly three years. The venue will occupy the ground floor of the renovated, four-story building at the corner of 30th Street and John F. Kennedy Blvd., fronted by Drexel Square and across the street from 30th Street Station.

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Gather Food Hall will be operated by Hospitality HQ, a national food hall consultant that runs similar concepts in Brooklyn, Charlotte and Orlando. The group took the reins of the project after initial plans for an Urbanspace food hall failed to materialize.

“The city’s dining culture has experienced an incredible wave of innovation in recent years, and we felt that University City – and the energy of Schuylkill Yards – was the perfect setting for a food hall that celebrates that spirit of growth and creativity," chef Akhtar Nawab, co-CEO and founding partner Hospitality HQ, said in a statement.

Gather Food Hall will feature an initial lineup of six vendors with room for future expansion.

Federal Donuts, the Philly-based donut and fried chicken chain, will have all of its menu staples along with breakfast sandwiches, coffee and tea. The stand in University City will be the brand's 10th in Philadelphia, including two at the Sports Complex and one at Philadelphia International Airport. Federal Donuts is in the early stages of a national expansion that saw the chain branch out to the Philly suburbs and South Jersey with stores in Willow Grove, Conshohocken, Radnor and Marlton opening over the last two years.

Mucho Perú, a Peruvian food startup that launched last year with stands in Center City and Fishtown, will offer a menu of empanadas, ceviche, pork belly sandwiches, salads and traditional desserts.

Sahbyy Food, the Cambodian street food stand known for serving lemongrass cheesesteaks at the Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park, will bring its menu to University City with Ch’Kai chili dogs and wings with various sauce flavors.

El Mictlan, a family-owned restaurant in South Philly, will bring a taco bar to Gather Food Hall along with a menu featuring seasonal dishes from Mexico's west coast.

Indian restaurant Bowl’d Masala will round out the quick-service options with customizable bowls, wraps, salads, wings and naan pizzas.

Bulletin Bar will pay homage to the history of the building with newspaper-themed decor and lighting. The bar will serve cocktails, draft beer and wine. The Bulletin Building was built in 1854 as home to the Philadelphia Bulletin, which was published from 1847 to 1982. Drexel University purchased the building in the 1990s, and the most recent renovation made way for lab and office space leased by life sciences company Spark Therapeutics on the upper floors.

Brandywine Realty Trust said Gather Food Hall's mission is to support culinary entrepreneurs who face barriers to growth. Two of the stalls opening at the end of October were supported by $25,000 grants and low-interest loans, in addition to a mentorship that helps vendors navigate marketing, legal questions and restaurant financing.

The food hall also plans to partner with local universities and other sponsors to provide discounted meals to students who are struggling to cover basic living expenses. Believe in Students, a national nonprofit that works to make higher education more affordable, will work with campuses in the city and local organizations to give out gift cards that can be redeemed for meals at Gather Food Hall.

“It’s hard to focus on school when you’re not sure where your next meal is coming from,” Traci Kirtley, executive director of Believe in Students, said in a statement. “Gather Food Hall is establishing an innovative approach to solving this issue by not only feeding students but elevating the issue in our public consciousness.”

In the first year of operation, Gather Food Hall expects to provide 5,000 meals to students in Philadelphia through its local partnership. Brandywine Realty Trust has made a 10-year, $250,000 commitment to the project.

The opening will add much-needed dining options to the vicinity of 30th Street Station, which is in the midst of a $550 million renovation that shut down most of its food service at the beginning of 2024. The Amtrak station is expected to open its own food hall and other sit-down restaurants in the coming years after work on the historic building is completed.