An exciting new adaptive reuse development is cropping up in the River North neighborhood, a block away from the Museum Reach portion of the River Walk. Directly adjacent to the Soto Building off of Broadway between 8th and Brooklyn Avenue, the new Make Ready Market will be a unique multi-vendor food and drink destination.
The site was formerly owned and occupied by the Cavendar Cadillac dealership. It is where the Cadillacs were “made ready” to be delivered to customers. The property was purchased from the Cavendar Family by Hixon Properties in 2016.
Pouring With Heart
From a commercial real estate perspective, the Make Ready Market site is technically owned by Hixon Properties but leased to the Los Angeles-based hospitality group, Pouring with Heart, for its development.
The company’s primary goal is to foster community among bartenders while assisting with skill-building and career opportunities. They also have an extensive design, development, and construction team that helps develop bars and brings them into reality. This includes department structures such as property development, operations, finance, bar acquisitions, people support/career building, etc. They have bars established in California, Colorado, and Texas with 6 bars in Austin and 2 in San Antonio (Three Star Bar, Idle Beer Hall & Brewery opening in 2023).
If you are more curious about Pouring With Heart’s origin story, there is a book that tells the tale entitled, "Pouring With Heart: The Essential Magic Behind The Bartenders We Love."
As the description states:
“Everyone thought Cedd Moses had lost his mind when he used his life savings to open ten bars in struggling Downtown Los Angeles. Not only would those venues help lift the communities around them—they’d go on to set a new standard for bars in LA, setting the stage for one of the greatest bar success stories in American history. Moses attributes this remarkable success to one thing. Pouring with Heart.
In this love letter to the bar world, Moses shares the secrets of what it truly means to be of service, pulling back the curtain on the magic a guest feels when in the presence of a bartender they love. Pouring with Heart demolishes the myth of bartending as a dead-end gig by using data and decades of experience to break down what it takes to cement a legendary career behind the bar.”
Make Ready Market
Similar to Food Hall at the Historic Pearl, Make Ready Market will have different stalls where various regional vendors can set up and sell to the public. A fenced-in courtyard is included on the property where feral children can run around while their watchful grown-ups can catch a break with adult beverages in hand.
“The addition of Four Brothers Venezuelan Kitchen, Thai Bird, Pescado Bravo, Garaje Cantina, Tiny Pies, EET UP, Drink Buje, and Sofia's Pizzeria to the food hall will provide unique specialties and flavors to complement the inaugural tenants, Mila Coffee [currently open], and Idle Beer Hall and Brewery and further bring the vision for the development to fruition,” said Hunter Kingman, Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Hixon Properties.
With architecture by Studio 8 influencing both the Make Ready Market and Idle Beer Hall & Brewery, the block’s construction has a cohesive look and feel. We are already impressed with the screened-in porch that glistens with a golden hue.
Idle Beer Hall and Brewery
A separate beer hall — formally the Cadillac machine shop — to be called Idle Beer Hall and Brewery, is slated to open in November 2023. Like Make Ready Market, the architecture is also by Studio 8. The interior design for this building is by Austin-based designer, Lilianne Steckel.
In a press release by Pouring with Heart, they stated about the interior,
“What sets Idle Beer Hall & Brewery apart, seamlessly blending historical and industrial elements with softer earthy features that pay homage to the rich Mexican influence on Texas, including natural textures, patinaed surfaces, and bright colors. Design accents such as warm wood furniture, vintage doors and light fixtures, and colorful tile paired with plenty of natural light and comfortable seating create a warm and playful environment for brewery patrons.”
Mila Coffee
Mila Coffee is the smallest building on the site and was finished first. In a brief discussion with the owner, Marco Cardel (while ordering a horchata), he said this location of their shop gets downtown commuters making a bigger variety of customers than their previous location. They look forward to the increased flow once construction wraps up and Make Ready Market/Idle Brewery opens.
We look forward to learning more about the design details of this impressive development as well as tasting what is lining up to be some very impressive foodie offerings.