Fresh Out the Box owner announces food hall to open in Beechmont

The owner of an Asian restaurant in Logan Street Market is expanding and opening a second location as part of a large food hall in the spring.

Dung Tran, owner of Fresh Out the Box, is taking over the former La Chandeleur space at 304 W. Woodlawn Ave. in Beechmont. The crepe restaurant La Chandeleur closed in September after a year of operation.

Because the restaurant space is large — the standalone building is 6,500 square feet — Tran intends to turn it into a food hall called "The StrEatery," with six different food vendors inside, all with access to the same kitchen. The StrEatery is targeting a March 1 opening date.

One of the vendors will be his concept, serving tacos, rice bowls, noodles, sushi and more. There will also be a sushi concept and a brunch spot in the space. The remaining three slots are still available for lease.

"I travel a lot, and food halls like this are common in bigger cities," Tran said. "I've seen the ones in Miami and Atlanta. It's more like a collective kitchen; rather than a public market with different retail and grocery options, this will be totally focused on food."

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Tran said he's received lots of interest for the remaining slots in the food hall. He's also reached out to the folks in the neighborhood, who expressed interest in sushi and in an Italian concept.

"I would love to find a pasta chef who will make his own pasta there," Tran said. "There is a lot of interest, I'm trying to keep it organized and get back to everyone."

Tran said he actually grew up in the South End of Louisville, and it's been nice to "see how much it's grown" and to bring his own restaurant to his old neighborhood.

Fresh Out the Box began as a food truck six years ago and added a location in Logan Street Market in 2020.

"It's going really well, people (seem to) love the menu I put together," he said. "I was originally thinking of doing a Fresh Out the Box sit-down restaurant out there (in Beechmont) but I feel like the area would benefit from more restaurants than just mine."

The StrEatery aims to be open seven days a week.

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Features reporter Dahlia Ghabour covers food, dining trends and restaurants in the Louisville area. Send tips on new places or story ideas to dghabour@courier-journal.com or follow on Twitter @dghabour.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Fresh Out the Box owner plans food hall in Louisville's Beechmont area