‘Shaver Hall,’ The New Food Hall at Amazon’s Hank Building

Shaver Hall is still several months away from its debut in what once was Lord & Taylor’s New York City flagship, but the 35,000-square-foot space is coming together. 

Located at 424 Fifth Avenue on the ground floor of Amazon‘s Hank Building, Shaver Hall will feature 11 food stalls that will serve up an assortment of cuisines including a 12-seat omakase concept from Michelin-starred chef BK Park, Chick Chick by Chef Jun Park, Taqueria Al Pastor, Tallow Steakhouse, F&F Pizzeria, Zazu, PastaSole and a yet-to-be-named cheese conveyer belt experience.

Named for Lord & Taylor’s trailblazing former president Dorothy Shaver, Shaver Hall is expected to open to the public late this year. Shaver, the first woman to lead a multimillion-dollar firm, died in 1959 at the age of 65. She will be among the pioneering female retail executives who will be featured in a series that is being developed by Macy’s. The American department store is developing a fictionalized television series based on the book “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion” by award-winning author and journalist Julie Satow. The bestseller spotlights women who shaped some of the most iconic department and specialty stores in America, including Shaver, Bonwit Teller’s former leader Hortense Odlum and Henri Bendel’s trailblazer Geraldine Stutz. (The paperback version of the book will be released May 6.)

Satow said, “I’m so happy that Dorothy is being recognized more and more. Her story and her contribution to America fashion is immeasurable. And I’m excited that the Shaver Food Hall will only increase her visibility.” 

Lord & Taylor’s Fifth Avenue store, which operated from 1914 until 2019, was named a New York City Landmark in 2007. Along with a concert hall and its own electricity generator, when the department store debuted the Italian Renaissance-style building had an in-store tea room. The draw was more than a 15-cent lemon meringue pie and 30-cent chicken sandwiches. Women who were shopping alone could have a spot of tea or pastry without being accompanied by a man.

Three years in the making, Shaver Hall is being helmed by The Food Hall Co. Its architecture is being handled by ZGF, which worked on Portland International Airport’s renovation and Google’s Spruce Goose Hangar.

Shaver Hall will join New York City’s well-populated food hall scene, but some have fared better than others. Last month The Tin Building by Jean-Georges announced it was scaling back operations. There have also been closures in the past 16 months including the Brookfield Properties-owned Citizens Market Hall, Gotham West Market, Williamsburg Food Hall and the Market Lane. But more recently, as the cost of restaurant dining has ticked up, grab-and-go options have become more popular with some consumers. To that end, Walmart is adding dozens of fuel and convenience stations this year — an effort that will bring its tally to 450.

The design firm Icrave is using jewel tones, metallic accents and warm woods for Shaver Hall’s interiors. The food vendors will have woven canopies with illuminated signs that are inspired by fashion labels.

The development is using Structure Tone for construction management, AMA Group for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, and Jacobs Dolan Beer for kitchen design. The all-hands-on-deck approach also enlisted Love & War for naming the hall and finessing brand identity. The Seneca Group is managing the development.