Last Friday I took the boys to visit the preview opening of Dinin’ Hall, a new food pod (and Columbus’ first!) that officially opened today next to the 400 W Rich arts space in Franklinton.
The Dinin’ Hall space is the old loading dock of the 400 W Rich warehouse. (The arts space itself is worth exploration, too. My 3.5-year-old dubbed it “very cool.”)
The overall concept is simple: they offer a regular and reliable place to eat with a rotating line-up of food carts and trucks. You place your order at the trucks and they give you a receipt and a number, which you take inside.
The indoor area includes tables for seating.
You pay for your food at counter, where they offer additional drinks, chips, and cookies. Eventually they’ll have shelves with other goods and gifts (including a certain breakfast guidebook!).
There’s seating for about 60 people. Big, bright windows on one wall. Through the doorway in the upper left is a hallway to restrooms. I’m told they might open the garage doors in the spring/summer.
The consolidated payment center allows you to easily buy multiple things from different trucks.
They’ve already filled up the May calendar. You could eat lunch here five days a week and get a different line-up every day.
On our visit, we tried a club sandwich from the Spinelli’s Deli cart…
…plus some sweet potato fries from Nicolasa’s.
I didn’t fully appreciate the food pod’s location until we drove away. You can find it just over the Main Street Bridge from downtown, a fairly easy walk and even easier drive. I’m hoping that more people discover the spot this way.
Dinin’ Hall is located at 400 West Rich St (map it!), and is open Monday through Friday,11a-2p.
To follow their schedules and special events, visit:
dininhall.com
facebook.com/dininhall
@dininhall
