The Seaport District’s Innovation and Design Building is showing promise for dining and businesses, with eight shipping container businesses set to open shop near the property and attractions taking place inside the building.
Popular food truck vendors Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and Mei Mei Street Kitchen along with Jubali, Yankee Lobster Company, Triangle Coffee and Cut-Splice will operate locations out of the shipping containers located on the promenade, said Maggie Dow, spokeswoman for the IDB.
“They have five containers delivered to the building and three more on the way,” Dow said. “They’re all expected to open early October … [but the open date] is still sort of up in the air.”
Serving as a storehouse for the South Boston Army Base until its purchase by the City of Boston in 1983, the building is now home to a community of design, manufacturing and research firms, according to the IDB website. Jamestown Properties bought the space two years ago and has partnered with companies like with American Field and Ball and Buck to rebrand the space, Dow said.
American Field hosted a pop-up market that took place on the seventh floor of the building Saturday and Sunday, featuring more than 50 vendors selling American-made products.
Kimberly LaFoy, co-founder of Loyal Supply Co., a design firm, retailer and home goods distributor, said she was thrilled to see such a great turnout at the market.
“We knew a few other people who were coming and this is actually our first popup we have ever done,” she said. “We really like the group of people we knew were coming, and wanted to see the community that was going to turn out and we knew it would be great for the store.”
LaFoy said she enjoys being able to have retail space where she and her employees can meet and collaborate with other vendors and customers.
Patrick Clarke, founder of bracelet retailer Cape Clasp, said that he and his company love American Field and will do anything to support then.
“We made a commitment to keep all of our stuff handmade in the U.S.,” he said. “We support several non-profits that are local, all Massachusetts-based, so 15 percent of all of our proceeds go there.”
Clarke said that he appreciated the opportunity to stay involved and meet artisans. He also said he was thankful that a market event like American Field allows Boston to see that not every product needs to be expensive.
“Things like this bring a lot of awareness to people in Boston, so they know what it takes to get things made in America and they don’t have to be crazy expensive,” Clarke said. “It’s cool to have people see the process and appreciate everything behind their favorite finished products.”
Several residents expressed interest in the Innovation and Design Building and the creative way the space is being used.
Alan Newsome, 32, of Brighton, said he would be interested in trying out food from food vendors along the promenade.
“Food trucks always have really awesome food and that seems like a nice way to spend a weekend,” he said. “It sounds like fun.”
Kathryn Rich, 62, of Back Bay, said although she is not into food trucks, she likes the idea of having a place for retail like the pop-up market.
“That’s a nice idea to have something like that,” she said. “I bet a lot of people went, I mean something like that would have something for almost everyone.”
Carolina Stein, 36, of Brighton, said she likes the idea of using storage containers to host restaurants and businesses.
“That’s really cool,” she said. “It seems like something I would go to, I mean food trucks are always cool. I feel like there is always cool stuff happening around Boston and that sounds like something that would happen here.”
Olivia Quintana contributed to the reporting of this article.
