The forthcoming Square 46 development at 4646 Government St., projected to open January 2017, will boast a metropolitan food hall featuring 10-11 food vendors and a full-service bar.
Owned by manager Clark Gaines and his wife, Whitney, White Star Market will sit in a 5,900-square-foot space within the new development.
While the Gaineses aren’t ready to release the names of vendors yet, they say Baton Rougeans will see some familiar vendors, among new ones, in the market.
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“We’re hoping to really cater to local chefs who maybe haven’t been able to get a restaurant off the ground and running,” Clark says, “as well as satellite locations for restaurants already in the city that want to try something new.”
The pair hopes that the market will appeal to a wide range of tastes and price points without any overlap in cuisine. It’s modeled after similar upscale food halls such as the recently updated St. Roch Market in New Orleans.
“The developer [Joshua Hoffpauir] has been very involved in the community and the overwhelming consensus is that people are looking for a variety of flavors in one place,” Clark says.
White Star Market will have set operating hours as a whole entity—likely 7 a.m.-9 or 10 p.m.—but individual vendors will have flexibility within those hours, Clark says.
Originally from Louisiana, Clark and Whitney lived in Ohio for nearly eight years. Both agree they’re glad to be back in Baton Rouge and excited to do business in Mid City.
“Square 46 really shares our style,” Whitney says, “and I think the market will be a great asset to everything else that comes together here.”
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The pair says the response from selected and potential vendors has been overwhelmingly positive, as has the feedback from Mid City residents and community members.
“We hope Square 46 and the market help Mid City continue to grow,” Whitney says, adding that a concept such as White Star Market has potential as a major tourism attraction like similar markets in larger cities, noting Gotham West Market in New York.
Square 46 will contain 25,000 square feet of commercial, office and residential space and is on the site of the former Giamanco’s Restaurant.