New Food Hall to Open Inside Office Tower in Long Island City Next Week

Inside JACX&CO (Image: Rachel Vanni)

Nov. 3, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

A large food hall that will house six restaurants and a café is scheduled to open in a new high rise office building in Long Island City next week.

The food hall, called JACX&CO, will open on Nov. 11 inside The JACX, a 26-story two-tower building located at 28-07 Jackson Ave.

JACX&CO will seat 215 people at full capacity but will operate at 25 percent initially in order to comply with the city’s COVID-19 guidelines for indoor dining.

The expansive food hall is more than 11,000 square feet in size and is located on the ground floor of the building that is on the south west corner of Jackson Avenue and Queens Plaza South.

The vendors that will occupy the space are mostly small city-based operators including Beebe’s – a Dutch Kills-based pizza joint that is opening its second location.

Other businesses include hot dog specialists Crif Dogs; FIELDTRIP, which serves up signature rice bowls; Méxology, a traditional Mexican food restaurant; Lotus + Cleaver, a Chinese eatery; and Taïm, an Israeli vegetarian establishment.

JACX&CO will be open from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and customers will also be able to do takeout and delivery.

The café, Ghaya, that is part of the food hall, however, will have extended hours and will be open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The food hall will eventually open on weekends but a timeline has yet to be determined. There are also plans for a full-service bar to go in and an outdoor dining area is also in the process of being designed.

The food hall has a modern, open courtyard look and its design was inspired by Long Island City’s industrial past, according to Daniel Cabrera, the general manager of JACX&CO.

The body of the space is comprised of materials such as reclaimed wood, exposed concrete and glazed ceramics.

The seating area is surrounded by a black steel mesh scrim that forms a series of arches that frame the booths and line the perimeter of the space.

“In designing and curating JACX&CO, we took our inspiration from the vibrant culture of the surrounding neighborhood with its diverse people, forward-looking art museums, and versatile dining experiences,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera said the food hall will be open to the public as well as the office workers who will occupy the building.

“We’re honored to partner with these eateries and chefs to bring amazing food and an inviting gathering space for friends, family, co-workers and visitors in Long Island City,” Cabrera said.