Union Hall, the foodie sanctuary at Eighth Street and Franklin Avenue, has performed so well since opening in January 2020 the owners will take their concept statewide, starting close to home on Woodway Drive.
Brothers Shane and Cody Turner have joined Todd Behringer to form UnionBrands Eateries Texas LLC, which will target Waco-sized markets for expansion. Locations will feature “Union” in the name, a trait traceable to the prototype, Union Hall, which honors the Waco Labor Temple property it took over.
The food hall planned at 8100 Woodway Drive, also known as Highway 84, in the former Tri Supply complex bought by UnionBrands, will carry the name Union Grove due to its proximity to greenery and rolling terrain. It offers 30,000 square feet over two buildings with metal exteriors and cement floors. Union Grove will accommodate about 30 vendors, eight more than operating in Union Hall, with “multiple child-friendly options and plenty of parking.”
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Union Grove will cater more to families with children than Union Hall, which has become popular with students, tourists and professionals working downtown, said Jonathan Garza, the Turner-Behringer team’s director of development. He said Union Grove will have an indoor playscape and a larger outdoor seating area with sight lines making it easier to watch youngsters.
Garza said the company has secured permits to begin renovations, and foresees a grand opening in fall 2023.
“We have seen great success at Union Hall in downtown Waco and are very excited about the potential for Union Grove in Woodway,” partner Cody Turner said in a press release. “We have done our best to use our experiences with Union Hall to enhance Union Grove for our patrons.”
Union Hall includes 22 vendors serving a variety of dishes, tenants including Zuke’s Tea Bar, The Salad Stand, Waco Melt, Whizzbang’s Hamburgers, Sam’s Bar, Wacool Tacos & Tamales, Rockin Rolls and King’s Chicken Wings. Union Hall has limited on-site parking, and customers often can be seen walking there in groups from sites around downtown and along Franklin Avenue. Just a block away, at Ninth Street and Franklin Avenue, crews are remodeling the former Tribune-Herald building, which Chip and Joanna Gaines acquired to become Magnolia’s corporate headquarters.
“In its third year of operations, Union Hall currently sees between 60,000 to 80,000 visitors per month,” UnionBrands spokesperson Nick Humes said.
UnionBrands regional manager Will Campos said Union Hall offers short-term lease space ranging from 220 to 440 square feet and priced at $3,000 to $6,000 per month. Monthly rates cover rent, insurance, utilities, customer access to common areas and cleaning services. Campos’ career in food service includes stints as general manager of Jason’s Deli locations in Waco and Frisco, and work at the Waco Hippodrome Theatre, Seventh Street and Austin Avenue, another property controlled by Turner-Behringer.
Campos said Union Grove, like Union Hall, will dote on locals with established food concepts, or who need a nudge in that direction. Some use Union Hall to transition from food truck to brick-and-mortar locations.
Garza said two markets appear on the horizon, though he declined to identify them. UnionBrands is not pursuing franchisees to spread the model.
“We have expectations that each location we open and operate will provide a somewhat unique experience, without the cookie-cutter feel of national chains,” Behringer said in a press release. “Our best practices approach will provide both synergy and energy to the new Woodway location.”
The Castillo family that owns the popular La Fiesta Tex-Mex restaurant has a dominant presence at Union Hall, with venues that include Sam’s Bar, Wacool Tacos & Tamales, Village Pizza-ria and a satellite bar. Sam Castillo Jr. said Friday the La Fiesta team will take space in Union Grove.
“I think we’re committed to provide the bar service,” Castillo said. “They plan something like indoor-outdoor seating with a playground for kids. That would lend itself to a beer bar. Another bar, inside, would serve cocktails and be more for adults. We’re supposed to discuss details next week.”
Partner Shane Turner said in the press release the group is thrilled to open its second food hall in the growing corridor of west Waco, Hewitt and Woodway, the 8100 Woodway Drive address technically in Waco’s city limits. He said Union Grove would fill a void for diverse food service options in Hewitt and Woodway.
Turner did his homework before introducing Union Hall, visiting food halls in Europe, New York and Texas, including Legacy Food Hall in Plano. He acquired the services of Detroit-based Studio H26, a luminary in market and food hall design, to lend its expertise regarding layout and look.
Other Turner-Behringer collaborations include twice renovating the Hippodrome Theatre downtown and adding dining options. The group also has proposed placing a mixed-use development where Floyd Casey Stadium once stood on South Valley Mills Drive before McLane Stadium was built.