By Claire Lareau

The worst part of going out to dinner with my family is the decision-making process. With five people, it is nearly impossible to choose a restaurant without a 20-minute debate over the best option. Often, we settle for the familiar, somewhat boring, chain restaurant that we have been to 30 times. So although I love going out to dinner, I have always wished we could find another place we could agree on.

My wishes have been answered at Hatch Local. It is Richmond’s first food hall, opened in March 2022 in an attempt to “uplift the community through food,” according to their website.  

The main dining area in Hatch. Photo credit: Instagram @hatchlocalfoodhall.

Hatch Local is a product of the multi-unit organization Hatch Richmond, a start-up founded in 2019 by Austin Green and Brad Cummings that serves over 75 independent small businesses. Hatch Richmond’s collaborative kitchen is located on Maury Street and expands over 15 former tobacco warehouses. For $825 a month, local restaurants have 24/7 access to the shared commissary kitchen. 

Located on Hull Street in the heart of Manchester, just seven minutes from Hatch’s kitchen, Hatch Local consists of two large buildings and an airy courtyard surrounded by up-and-coming apartment complexes. There is ample street parking on both Hull Street and the surrounding side streets, as well as a parking garage with validated parking.

Hatch Local houses six vendors: Fat Kid Sandwiches, The Beet Box, Buttermilk and Honey, Greek on Cary, Royal Pig, and TBT Gallito. It also features a large, wrap-around bar. The Food Hall offers two modern ordering options. Each vendor has a kiosk on which customers can select their meal and enter their phone number for easy pick-up. Alternatively, customers can scan one of the many QR codes scattered throughout the hall and order a meal straight from their phones.  

My parents and I went to Hatch Local for a late Sunday lunch recently. We ordered from three of the six vendors so that we could get a taste of a broad selection of Hatch’s offerings. 

The vegan Tierra Santa Taco and the Children of the Corn Street-style Fries. Photo credit: Claire Lareau

My mother Katie Lareau chose her meal from the vibrant menu of TBT Gallito—a mini version of West Cary Street’s quick-service, reimagined Mexican street food restaurant TBT el Gallo. She ordered the vegan Tierra Santa taco ($5.50). This more modern version of a Mexican street taco was filled with corn, squash, nopales (cactus), and various toppings. She also ordered their Children of the Corn Street-style Fries ($13). The restaurant prepared these two items in approximately nine minutes and delivered them hot and fresh to the pick-up station. The portion of these fries was huge. They were loaded with corn, cotija cheese, queso fresco, and three flavorful sauces. The fries themselves were crispy and rich, and the potatoes were sliced into curved shapes. 

The Honey Smashville Chicken Sandwich and Smashville Hot Fries. Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

My dad Mark Lareau chose to go a more southern route with the Honey Smashville Chicken Sandwich ($12.00) and Smashville Hot Fries ($7.00) from Buttermilk and Honey. Buttermilk and Honey’s mother restaurant lives on West Broad Street. My father described the sandwich as “juicy and a little too spicy.” (Diners with a normal level of spice tolerance may disagree with his statement, because he thinks everything is too spicy.) He enjoyed the buttery buns and the spicy ranch, but he questioned whether the sandwich was worth $12. The fries were also smothered in Buttermilk and Honey’s spicy ranch, and they were surrounded by diced pickles. They were also spicy, but my father noted that “there was a bit of sweetness in them, not just pure spice.” These fries seemed to absorb the pickle juice, creating a warm, spicy, tangy dish.

The G.O.A.T. Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

Finally, I chose to order from the Beet Box. This satellite version of the juice bar and modern health food café located on Cary Street was vibrantly decorated with fake plants and neon purple signs. I opted for the G.O.A.T ($8.50): a fresh slice of local toasted French bread topped with avocado, tomatoes, olive oil, and everything bagel seasoning. The “ready” notification popped up on my phone less than seven minutes after I ordered it. The toast was delicious. It was steaming hot and perfectly crispy. The avocado was ripe, cool, and refreshing. The cherry tomatoes were a bit unconventional. I found it difficult to eat the toast without the tomato halves sliding off the base. The everything bagel seasoning offered a nice, crunchy addition to the toast, but it was a touch too salty. Although $8.50 is steep for a slice of avocado toast, the portion was generous and filling, enough to share with a friend. 

My mom felt that Hatch was “relatively pricey for lunch,” but understood how convenient Hatch would be for true locals: “It would be great for all the people who live down here and want a quick meal.” 

When paying for Hatch, though, some of that price goes to pay for the ambiance. Hatch’s 10,000 square feet of space has a beautiful array of clean, comfortable seating. My father loved that Hatch offered “lots of light,” as three of the walls were floor-to-ceiling glass. He observed that conventional restaurants “don’t usually have this many windows.” 

In between parties, employees quickly wiped down each table. The cashiers were friendly and efficient. The manager joyfully greeted customers on their way in and out. Outside, guests had the opportunity to play cornhole or Jenga. On one inside table, there was a mini hook-and-ring bar game.

For local art enthusiasts, Hatch’s walls are lined with purchasable pieces from All City Art Club. This collaborative art project focuses on improving the Richmond community through creativity.

Art from All City Art Club. Photo credit: Claire Lareau.

Overall, Hatch beautifully encapsulated many aspects of Richmond’s diverse culture. It was filled with Richmonders, young and old, enjoying food side by side. 

Hatch also acts as a pathway for new vendors to start a local business, as its vendors do not pay rent. Instead, they pay a percentage of their sales and are not locked into a lease.

Co-founder and executive director of Hatch Local Austin Green shared with CBS 6 News that Hatch acts as a jumping-off point for local businesses: “If a local business sees fit to go and move on to their own brick and mortar, then we’d be very happy to see that advancement.”

This low-pressure, low-commitment structure allows the vendors to experiment and creates a fresh, exciting atmosphere in Hatch Local. Yelp user Kyle G. noticed this when he visited Hatch Local last October: “Young restaurant concepts with something to prove makes for some competitively good food.”

The next time your family is arguing over where to go to dinner, suggest Hatch Local Food Hall. Whether it is the diverse food, the ambiance, the convenience, or the warm glow of supporting young businesses, Hatch Local has something to satisfy everyone.

Featured image credit: Instagram @hatchlocalfoodhall.