San Diego

Carlsbad's Highly Anticipated Windmill Food Hall Announces Vendors

The indoor and outdoor food hall will be helmed by local restaurateur James Markham, and is slated to open this summer

Carlsbad's new dining destination, the highly anticipated Windmill Food Hall, will be home to all types of food, from Korean-style fried chicken to made-to-order pizzas to build-your-own sushi burritos and more, officials announced on Friday. 

The dining hall, located at the well-known Windmill Building space at 890 Palomar Airport Rd., will feature a total of 11 vendors, as well as a standalone breakfast restaurant, Katalyst Public Relations announced. 

The Windmill Building is located near The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch and the Carlsbad Premium Outlets. If you’re in the seaside community, you can’t miss it.

The building was previously home to a TGI Fridays. Before that, locals may remember it’s incarnation as the traveler-friendly chain restaurant, Pea Soup Andersen’s.

The indoor and outdoor food hall will be helmed by local restaurateur James Markham and is slated to open this summer.

Markham is the restaurateur behind the Carlsbad-based fast-casual pizza chain, Project Pie, and other pizza-centric businesses like Pieology and MOD Pizza.

He also has experience in the food hall business, running a pizzeria called Doughballs and a breakfast spot called Crackheads, both at Liberty Public Market. 

The food hall will be home to a wide variety of food, from Asian desserts to pizzas to gourmet street tacos. Here are some of the vendors you'll find at the food hall:

  • Bing Haus, an Asian-inspired dessert spot serving up rolled ice cream. If you've been to Kearny Mesa, you've likely spotted this popular spot. 
  • Bread and Cheese Eatery, serving up gourmet, made-from-scratch grilled cheese sandwiches stuffed with specialty ingredients. They'll also be serving pineapple smoothies inside fresh pineapples. 
  • Cross Street Chicken & Beer, a Korean-style fried chicken spot which recently opened its first store on Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. 
  • Doughballs Pizza, making made-to-order whole pizzas with different options. You may recognize them from Liberty Station.
  • Rolled Up, where patrons can get build-your-own rolled sushi burritos. 
  • Taco Lady, a new restaurant from the woman behind El Puerto Mexican & Seafood. They'll be serving gourmet street tacos. 
  • Thai Style Kitchen, which is traveling pop-up food stand serving traditional Thai cuisine. They'll open their first location at the food hall. 

On top of the vendors, Markham said, he'll include a 30-foot indoor-outdoor bar, games for children, antique furniture and seating space for more than 300 people.

The pay system at the food hall will be new technology never before used in California restaurants, Markham added. 

“When you walk into the main entrance. We’re going to give you either a key fob or bracelet," Markham explained. "When you walk up to each vendor and you want to pay you just swipe your wristband. It’s going to allow the food vendors to walk around and do full service.” 

The food hall has not set an exact opening date yet, but it will open this August. 

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