REJUVENATION: As its downtown welcomes yet another investment to its fast-approaching modernized future, the city of Riverside anticipates a taste of the new food lab.
By Elizabeth Bailey, Staff Writer
The project, which was first announced in late 2016 and recently revealed to the public, was crafted and managed by Jerry Tessier. Tessier’s inspiration for bringing this new state of affairs to Riverside is the promise he made to his mother to bring more activity to her beloved city. “We’re passionate about quality food and creative experiences and putting in a food hall that brings so many local chefs and food entrepreneurs together under one roof,” Tessier said. However, with such a demanding task, it’s inevitable to hit roadblocks along the way, as Tessier exhibited with the confession that they were delayed a matter of six months. It is scarcely known “how tough and challenging it is to open a restaurant, do all the construction and get through all the approvals and health department. Well, imagine a food hall that has 14 restaurants,” Tessier incited. The complexity of coordinating all of those different visions and expectations of each food entrepreneur is more than enough to put a dent in any plans. Nevertheless, Tessier’s hard work paid off, and although “[they have] opened many buildings and restaurants and all sorts of things in many other cities, [their] best experience, to date, has actually been with Riverside” Tessier said. Riverside is not only a well-cultured and innovative city, but also business-friendly and ready for future investors.
With the arrival of Riverside’s up and coming food lab, there is much to be excited about. Offering a wide array of food interests and culture, the Food Lab has the capacity to draw in a wide variety of customers. The restaurants already in place include: Augie’s Coffee Roasters, Beerfarm, Fufu’s, Dia de los Puercos, Freelyraw, and Pig Pen. Some of the new and exclusive food items available include Fufu’s Lebanese selection, which offers traditional style falafel, both chicken and beef shawarma, and baklava. Dia de los Puercos’s features exquisite Mexican food with a Chicano twist such as fish tacos and enchiladas. Found on the more Southern end of the spectrum is Pig Pen’s restaurant, serving up anything to do with pork, potatoes and more, while Freelyraw’s cold-pressed juices are known for their fresh taste and locally-sourced organic ingredients. Located at 3605 Market Street, it neighbors the highly acclaimed Fox Theater. The food lab’s apparent refusal to neglect any culture or food interest will serve as encouragement for a multitude of ethnic groups to visit and enjoy the community.
There are many aspects of the project that have still not been completely verified, but what the public can know for sure is that this food lab is bringing what it believes is best for the city of Riverside in the hopes of rejuvenating it from the very heart.