A food hall is set to open right on the edge of downtown Plant City next year.
The building — which originally was First National Bank of Plant City — is at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Wheeler St. and was purchased by Shane Karlson who plans to transform the location into a destination for the community. The bottom floor will be a food hall with high-quality restaurants and bars and the second floor is planned to become office space.
“I’m hoping to make this into a family gathering place, a place where families gather and couples go for a date night to have a beverage and excellent food, listen to excellent music and experience downtown Plant City,” Karlson said. “The vision is really about the people in the downtown area working together and seeing a few of these types of projects through. There’s already some great things happening in downtown and I want this to be a part of that movement.”
Karlson announced last week on social media the plans for the building and many in the community have flooded the replies with support of the upcoming business. With more than 22,000 square feet, the goal is to transform the building into not only a destination for foodies, but a place to relax and enjoy some live entertainment.
Food halls are becoming more and more prominent throughout the country and in cities — like Lakeland and Tampa — they act as anchors for the communities they’re placed in. Karlson attests their success to the focus on having unique and high quality food. It also ends up being a plus for the entire family or friend group because those who are in the mood for different types of food can still come together in one location.
“When you go in you have these specialty food shops and they’re creating phenomenal food in these small spaces,” Karlson said. “It needs to be an experience. It’s going to be an experience where you come and say, ‘That’s the best food I’ve ever had.’ Between that and the brewery/beer and wine vendor, people are free to go find what they like. You can have four people going in four different directions and then meet up at a table together with the food of their choice. The only thing we care about is it’s going to be the best food you’ve ever eaten. We’re not just going to let anyone in this building. I already have 42 applications within about five days of people wanting to come into this building.”
Obviously this early in the game nothing is set in stone on what precisely will be calling The Vault home. However, Karlson did add there’s been interest from a few businesses that specialize in experiences rather than dining, hinting that there may be a mix of entertainment options available for those who come visit.
Jaydon Development is working through the design and construction efforts with local businesses and The Vault is expected to break ground within the next couple of weeks. Karlson said he believes the project will be completed and open to the public within a year. He said that part of the old bank’s charm is going to remain, hence the name The Vault. The vault in the building will be open for people to walk through and see the safety deposit boxes, unique ventilation system and of course the giant door.
The teller line is going to be transformed into a beer garden with a stage for live music and outdoor entertainment.
As more businesses like The Vault and the ever evolving locations along Ever Street continue to come to town, Plant City’s downtown core becomes more accessible and is starting to draw a steady stream of visitors. The Vault will have its own parking lot with more than 100 spaces to ensure visitors will have ample room to park without having to turn to the rest of downtown to find locations.
“I love the area and I love the people in this community,” Karlson said. “I think Plant City and its surrounding areas are ready for downtown to become a destination. There are some really great businesses that are already making that happen and I want to be a part of that journey. This is a community effort and I think there’s so much synergy and positive things happening that if you have a vision I don’t know how you can go wrong in Plant City. Look at the parks this community has. Look at all of the projects Main Street has going on. Everyone is working so hard to bring unique things downtown and I think everyone is evolving together toward one unified vision. I want this facility to become a part of that and to add to that goal of making this community a destination.”
To stay up-to-date on the business follow @thevaultplantcity on Facebook and Instagram or visit thevaultplantcity.com.