Sponsored By

Manhattanville Market at Columbia University West Harlem campus offers four chef-created concepts

Overseen by Chef Franklin Becker, this multi-station venue serves both the campus and surrounding community with fare ranging from Southern biscuit sandwiches and Mediterranean specialties to Sicilian pizzas and specialty salads.

Mike Buzalka, Executive Features Editor

July 16, 2021

17 Slides
Manhattanvile_Market-_Benny_Casanova_s_-_Sicillian_Arancini.jpeg

A new food hall overseen by Chef Franklin Becker recently opened in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at Columbia University’s Harlem West satellite campus. Called the Manhattanville Market, it features four cuisine concepts, with a fifth scheduled to open this fall on the 5,000-square-foot complex’s second level.

Becker is co-founder and former head of culinary development of grocery delivery service HungryRoot, a co-founding investor in The Little Beet chain when he was culinary director for Aurify Brands and has been featured on Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters.

The four stations currently open at Manhattanville Market are Southern biscuit sandwich concept Butterfunk Biscuit, the Mediterranean-themed Shai, Sicilian-style pizza concept Benny Casanova’s and “living salad” concept Botanist. Opening this fall will be Oliva, a full-service tapas restaurant.

Occupying a newly constructed space in the Greene Center, Manhattanville Market is a joint venture partnership between Becker and Columbia and is open to both the campus population and the outside community. It operates seven days a week, currently for lunch and through 8 p.m., but breakfast hours, and some additional morning menu items, are slated for September along with an evening extension to 10 p.m., Becker says.

Two of the concepts are new to this location while Buttermilk Biscuit—a partnership with Chef Chris Scott—and Shai are brands already also deployed in Becker’s recently opened ghost kitchen operation in Soho.

Becker says the relationship—his first “for now” with a university—began with an RFP issued by Columbia, and he’s excited by the challenge.

“We’re already drawing tremendous traffic,” he observes. “It’s something that’s kind of unique for Columbia and it’s unique for us, and we plan to service the needs of both the campus and the public.”

Here’s a photo tour of the venue and the menus…

All photos courtesy of F. Becker Hospitality.

About the Author

Mike Buzalka

Executive Features Editor, Food Management

Mike Buzalka is executive features editor for Food Management and contributing editor to Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News. On Food Management, Mike has lead responsibility for compiling the annual Top 50 Contract Management Companies as well as the K-12, College, Hospital and Senior Dining Power Players listings. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from John Carroll University. Before joining Food Management in 1998, he served as for eight years as assistant editor and then editor of Foodservice Distributor magazine. Mike’s personal interests range from local sports such as the Cleveland Indians and Browns to classic and modern literature, history and politics.

Mike Buzalka’s areas of expertise include operations, innovation and technology topics in onsite foodservice industry markets like K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Healthcare and Business & Industry.

Mike Buzalka’s experience:

Executive Features Editor, Food Management magazine (2010-present)

Contributing Editor, Restaurant Hospitality, Supermarket News and Nation’s Restaurant News (2016-present)

Associate Editor, Food Management magazine (1998-2010)

Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1997-1998)

Assistant Editor, Foodservice Distributor magazine (1989-1997)

 

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.

You May Also Like