Italy's hugely popular artisan-led marketplace chain, Mercato Centrale is set to open its first location outside of its homeland, in Melbourne. Sites in Milan, Rome and Turin followed the original Florence location and now it's going international with a three-story site in Australia's food capital, launching late 2022.
Mercato Centrale was founded back in 2014 by former restauranteur Umberto Montano, then at its only site in Florence which at the time was a revolutionary marketplace for all things Italian food, working as a shared platform for producers. Hand-picked artisans have the opportunity to represent their craft with just one representative for each food product. The result is a platform at which smaller producers can showcase their produce without the typical overheads of having their own premises.
The new Melbourne location will feature a lower level showcasing the main bar, as well as a cocktail bar and artisan bottle shop. Alongside the beverages, visitors can pick up salamis, pasta baked goods and pastries too. Whilst above, the second tier will play host to a sit-down Italian restaurant providing an at home feel. Above all this sits a dedicated event space fit for the most Italian of functions.
Alongside the food and beverage, Mercato Centrale positions itself as a hotspot for culture too, with a range of social and creative events and activities to be held there alongside live live music from acoustic gigs to weekend DJ sets.
Find out more about the Mercato Centrale concept here. Image credit - Mercato Centrale Milan Facebook.