Julekha Dash

Special for USA TODAY

Jon Constable and his partners at Seawall Development Co. toured food markets around the country before opening Baltimore’s R. House in December.

It was Brooklyn’s Berg’n, a beer hall with food vendors, that inspired Constable’s eureka moment — their new destination could at once appeal to families and urbanites. “Cool and kid-friendly don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” Constable says.

The 350-seat R. House features high chairs and play areas to appeal to families and a large central bar that draws a crowd later at night. Roll-up garage doors from its previous incarnation as an auto showroom and colorful, comfy sofas and plants scattered throughout the 50,000-square-foot space give it a creative feel.

Located less than a mile from Johns Hopkins University in the Remington neighborhood, the $12 million market contains 10 eateries serving everything from Venezuelan arepas to Hawaiian poké to tacos. R. Bar serves local beer, wine and seasonal cocktails from Aaron Joseph and Amie Ward.

Nationally, the public’s appetite for casual, chef-driven concepts continues to grow. Developers and celebrity chefs are proposing a new food hall every week, according to a report from real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. Among the more high-profile projects: Anthony Bourdain’s 155,0000-square-foot market is slated to open in New York in two years, and new Eataly locations debuted last year in New York and Chicago. Food hall tenants range from Michelin star chef-driven concepts to new upstarts.

And indeed, at R. House, tenant Federico Tischler has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in South America and delivers unique takes on arepas (stuffed corn pockets) at White Envelope. “It’s a vehicle to show the culture and flavor of Venezuela,” Tischler says.

Vegetarian restaurant Stall 11 serves smoothies, smoothie bowls, salads and noodle dishes with greens sourced from the owners’ hydroponic urban farming initiative, Urban Pastoral. Twin sisters Nat and Nuch Teng introduce Hilo, Baltimore’s first spot to serve poké, a Hawaiian dish featuring cubed raw fish atop rice. Another sister duo, Heather Chung and Mimi Kim, sell Korean dumplings and rice bowls at Be.bim.

Two local restaurateurs have expanded their business at R. House. Serving breakfast sandwiches and coffee, Ground & Griddled owner Dave Sherman also operates Café Cito in Hampden. Known for his popular Baba’s Mediterranean Kitchen, Farid Salloum has opened Mediterranean eatery ARBA, whose menu includes falafel, shawarma and hummus. Dessert fans can head to Little Baby’s Ice Cream and bakery Blk//Sugar, operated by Pete Angevine and Krystal Mack, which share a stall.

“It’s a great launch pad for new concepts and chefs,” says Alex Janian of R. House. The former hedge fund manager owns fried chicken and wings spot BRD and Amano Taco, whose chef Claudia Santillan features her family recipes in her tacos.

The food market will debut its first pop-up Feb.15, Big Mama’s Asian Kitchen, and is seeking another tenant to occupy its remaining stall.

Click through the slideshow above to get a taste of R. House, and see more food hall and market photo tours below.

New Orleans' St. Roch Market

Los Angeles' Grand Central Market

Columbus, Ohio's North Market