Tel Aviv Port Market Set for Major Revamp With New Tenants and Bigger Farmers Market
After years of decline, ownership of the Tel Aviv Port food market is changing and a major renovation is about to begin. The market opened in November 2010 in Hangar 12 as Israel’s first covered food market, founded by Michal Ansky, Shir Halpern and architect Roi Hemed, and its Friday farmers market has long featured about 50 farmers. But the COVID-19 pandemic, repeated lockdowns and the ongoing war sharply hurt business, especially tourism, which had been a key source of visitors.
About a month ago, Simon Abutbul, owner of the restaurants Lehem Basar and Reshel at the port, and Kfir Kochavi, who has managed the farmers market for the past decade, won the tender to operate the site. They plan to invest about 15 million shekels in a full renovation starting after the Jewish holidays, with the relaunch targeted for New Year’s Eve. Kochavi said, “We are both turning 50 in January, so this will be a very significant month.”
The redesigned market will be split evenly between existing and new businesses. New openings already in the pipeline include a meat restaurant from the Iwos butcher shop with chef Nitzan Raz as operating chef, and a fish restaurant from Fishnzon. The Promazh cheese stand will begin serving elaborate toasted sandwiches, and there may also be a Mexican restaurant with a separate outdoor counter serving tacos and margaritas. Each restaurant inside the covered hall is expected to have a fast-service outdoor outlet as well.
Thirteen-year-old Thrisar, the restaurant by chef Aner Ben Raphael Fuhrman, will remain in place and is expected to keep operating during the renovation. Talks are also underway with a large restaurant group, though its name cannot yet be published. The new owners say they want to strengthen independent businesses rather than chain branches. The farmers market will expand from once a week to three times weekly, while the city plans a new sea-facing park and a new seawater pool on the parking lot between the market and the Shake Shack building.
