Historic San Gabriel Masonic Lodge Might Turn Into a 14 Vendor Food Hall

It’s still in the planning phase with the city of San Gabriel, but if approved, Blossom Market Hall will open as a 14 vendor food hall inside a shuttered Masonic Lodge. The owners put together plans for a community-minded space, and hope to open by spring or summer 2020.

Blossom Market Hall is part of the local revitalization project for downtown San Gabriel. Husband and wife team Chris and Nellie Tran have ambitious plans for the split-level building. When complete, seven vendors will have access to a full kitchen stall for hot food prep, with the remaining ones as fast-prep food retail. This includes a coffee kiosk, brewery, and live performance stage on the 9,000 square foot ground floor. A wifi lounge is in the works for the 2,000 square feet second floor, along with a community meeting space.

It’s an ambitious project for the couple. Both have never worked in the food service industry before, but both are San Gabriel Valley natives who moved back to Southern California two years ago. “After settling in, we knew there needed to be a food hall around here,” says Nellie. “It’s a crazy thing, but we thought we’d just go for it. Our real estate agent showed us the Masonic Lodge in the Mission District, and we fell in love with it. It’s a fantastic building and a fantastic neighborhood.”

The Trans are part of Southern California’s recent wave of revitalization, where local governments partner with businesses in city centers. Some recent efforts include a food hall in Downtown Montebello called BLVD MRKT, and Border X, a San Diego-based Mexican craft brewery soon to arrive in the City of Bell.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the Trans held a town hall meeting Oct. 30 to get input from the community. They recently took possession of the property in September, but they still require approval from the planning commission, who votes on the matter on December 10.

Blossom Market Hall. 264-278 South Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA

Courtesy of office42 architecture

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