Ithaka Hospitality Partners, in partnership with Auburn University, announced that Hey Day Market, a 10,000-square-foot multi-vendor food hall, will open its doors in Auburn, AL in fall 2022. Located alongside the forthcoming Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, a first-of-its-kind hospitality education facility at Auburn University, Hey Day Market will help establish Auburn as a hub of culinary offerings for students and visitors alike.
Hey Day Market’s central location, across from Auburn University’s iconic Samford Hall, will be easily accessible to students as well as to members of the local and business communities, visitors, shoppers, and alumni returning to campus. The food hall will be a welcome addition to Auburn students and will focus on creative and moderately priced meals.
Applications are now available for vendors interested in joining the market’s opening tenant line-up. Eight food stalls offering a variety of cuisines will line the perimeter of the hall along with a bar and one space reserved for a student-led incubator concept. The Market’s design will feature an industrial look, with stained concrete floors and doors that open to a large green space for additional seating. Ithaka Hospitality Partners, LLC will manage Hey Day Market on behalf of Auburn University.
“We are thrilled to open the first food hall on the Plains in partnership with Auburn University,” says Hans van der Reijden, Founder & CEO of Ithaka Hospitality Partners. “Hey Day Market will be a place for students and the greater community to come together, try new food, and be a part of the greater hospitality story Auburn is now telling.”
The dedicated incubator space will allow graduates of the Hospitality Management Program to develop and proof innovative food concepts and gain real-world operational experience prior to scaling their business for competitive market entry. After 12 months, graduates will vacate the space, having gained enough experience to operate independently at their own premises, making way for new graduates who wish to develop a food production company to occupy space for the next 12 months.
The market’s name is an ode to a beloved Auburn tradition known as “Hey Day.” Dating all the way back to World War II, Auburn University’s student body pushed for a day that would unite the Auburn Family and promote a friendly atmosphere known as Hey Day. Each year, the university carries on this tradition of handing out name tags and encouraging students and faculty to greet one another.
