Joanna Fantozzi

DoorDash is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint with the opening of its second food hall nationally in San Jose. Like the food hall that opened last year in Brooklyn, DoorDash Kitchens San Jose in California is a “delivery-forward kitchen” and features 10 local and regional food vendors including Aria Korean Street Food (Korean fried chicken and bulgogi), Little Spoon (boba teas), Milk Bar, and Nekter Juice Bar.

The permanent food hall is inspired by the DoorDash popup in San Jose which served guests temporarily nearly two years ago, and is located in the Plant Shopping Center, which was just acquired by Necessity Retail REIT last year as part of a billion-dollar retail investment package.

“DoorDash Kitchens is looking forward to serving the San José community once again, after a warm welcome from residents during our limited-time pop-up almost two years ago,” Ashlee Tran, DoorDash head of new restaurant models said in a statement. “We’re eager to continue partnering with restaurants to help them grow their business in an innovative way, while connecting customers with dining options they might not otherwise have been able to enjoy.”

DoorDash Kitchens’ ghost kitchen network has been around since 2020, offering a mix of national chains and local eateries that act as a jumping-off point for brands to expand their off-premises options and currently has four locations. However, the first location to offer in-person seating did not open until May 2022, when DoorDash Kitchens Brooklyn opened its doors to guests for the first time, with access to five different concepts like DomoDomo and Pies ‘n’ Thighs.

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DoorDash Kitchens works similarly to a business incubator, allowing small businesses to grow and test out new items and concepts in a small-format experience. The new DoorDash Kitchens food halls are primarily off-premises-focused (with takeout and delivery available), but also offer dine-in experiences where guests can order via QR code or kiosk and then enjoy their selection at the food hall in person.

“Koi Palace has offered fresh, high-quality Chinese dining to the Bay Area for nearly three decades since 1996, as we’ve seen that our customers enjoy authentic wok-fired dishes and delicate dim sum,” Willy Ng, Founder of Koi Palace said in a statement. “We’re excited to be able to serve the residents in San José for the first time, which has now been made possible through our partners at DoorDashKitchens!”

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

Related:DoorDash Kitchens opens delivery-centric food hall concept in Brooklyn