An aerial rendering of the exterior of The Warehouse, slated for downtown Boise in 2022.
Geronimo Hospitality Group
A major new food and drink hub plans to open in downtown’s BoDo district — and it’s whetting Boise’s appetite with tasty details.
The Warehouse Food Hall, 370 S. 8th St., just announced its first three tenants: Paddles Up Poke, Rush Bowls and The Loading Dock. A total of 13 to 15 tenants are expected in the 21,000-square-foot dining destination, which will include food, beverage, and specialty retail and service spaces.
Owned by Wisconsin-based Geronimo Hospitality Group, The Warehouse “will serve as an extension to the already thriving 8th Street dining district,” according to a press release, which calls the concept “Boise’s first food hall.” Located on the first floor of the 29,000-square-foot Warehouse building, it’s on pace to open in spring 2022.
“We can’t wait to give residents and travelers in Boise a new scene for excellent food and drink, retail, and entertainment,” Jeff Whiteman, Geronimo’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The Warehouse is unlike anything you’ll experience in the area, and guests will be able to enjoy the community-focused marketplace’s unique offerings next year and for many years to come.”
When it comes to local chains, Paddles Up Poke is one of Idaho’s biggest success stories in recent memory. Owner Dan Landucci, a Boise State graduate, opened his first restaurant at 237 N. 9th St. in 2017, serving customizable rice bowls filled with chunks of marinated, raw fish. He’s expanded steadily since, opening multiple locations.
Colorado-based chain Rush Bowls made its Boise debut in 2019 with a franchise restaurant at 1774 W. State St. Focusing on grab-and-go meals, its menu features fruit bowls (topped with granola and honey), acai bowls and smoothies.
Need a drink after all that healthy food? The Loading Dock — operated by Geronimo Hospitality Group — will pop you a cold one. A “no-frills spot for a shot and a beer,” The Loading Dock will offer “a selection of canned and bottled beer from breweries located around the country, served solo or with a shot of whiskey.” The Loading Dock will not be a full-liquor bar serving cocktails — just beer and whiskey.
For more information and updates, check out The Warehouse Food Hall on Facebook and Instagram, or visit www.warehouseboise.com.
An entertainment writer and opinion columnist, Michael Deeds chronicles the Boise good life: restaurants, concerts, culture, cool stuff. Deeds materialized at the Idaho Statesman as an intern in 1991 before taking on roles including sportswriter, features editor and music critic. Over the years, his freelance work has ranged from writing album reviews for The Washington Post to hyping Boise in that airline magazine you left on the plane. Deeds has a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial journalism from the University of Nebraska.