Back Hala Koszyki remains in great shape as Warsaw’s premier food hall attracts new tenants

Hala Koszyki remains in great shape as Warsaw’s premier food hall attracts new tenants

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to represent a challenge for the entire real estate market in Poland and around the world. But it has not turned out to be such a calamity for Hala Koszyki in Warsaw – the flagship multifunctional project owned by Globalworth, the leading office owner and manager in Central and Eastern Europe. The popular meeting place for the Polish capital’s residents is still generating excellent results and attracting new tenants.

After 1,5 year of the pandemic, we were ready for the first assessments of where we were – and these have been very positive for us. During this difficult period for the entire market, we haven’t slowed down at all. Even when we had to close some stores and restrict the operations of restaurants, we didn’t stop communicating with our clients or organising events for them. Only the ways we have done this have changed – to hybrid or completely virtual formats. We have found our feet well in this new reality, and our tenants and the guests of Koszyki have appreciated our activity and creativity,

says Barbara Wójcik, a Senior Asset Manager at Globalworth Poland.

A hall filled with events

After the second lockdown, which lasted more than six months, Hala Koszyki was able to re-open its restaurant garden section with a bang, welcoming back guests who were longing for some top-quality cuisine in a unique atmosphere. In the build-up to this, a large clock was installed in front of the building, counting down to the stroke of midnight on May 14th, when a spectacular light and sound show got underway to mark the long-awaited reopening of the Polish gastronomic scene. The event was greeted with great enthusiasm by the citizens of Warsaw – as well as the national media, which broadcast it live.

Since March 2020, Hala Koszyki has hosted dozens of live and online events, including a series of concerts, improvised theatre, `exhibitions, workshops, performances, summer cinema screenings and many other attractions. The most spectacular have been the star-studded concerts headlined by the likes of Natalia Przybysz, Smolik // Kev Fox, Mera Spolsky and Maria Peszek, which were broadcast on Hala Koszyki and Globalworth’s Facebook webpages and viewed by several hundred thousand people in total. At the end of July, the building became an esports arena in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament on a virtual map specially designed for this event.

Tenants choose Koszyki

Our efforts have also been appreciated by our tenants. Throughout the pandemic we’ve tried to support them in many different ways. Now we can see that through our help and the discussions with them we’ve had, the good relationships have been improved further. Over the last year, despite the difficult market situation, we extended a total of 26 lease agreements with existing tenants and secured three new ones,

reveals Anna Merta, the Retail Leasing Director of Globalworth Poland.

The retail and F&B tenants of Hala Koszyki who have extended their contracts include: Semolino, Warszawski Sen, Ćma, Port Royal, Bar Koszyki, Mango, Buena Vista Social Food, Curry Leaves, Damas, Forbo, Aclari, Duka, Tuk Tuk, Eurospar, Magia d ‘Italia, Gringo, Jeff’s, Bar Koszyki, Kraina Serów and Soul Food.

Since May, two new restaurants have also opened in Koszyki: Zachodni Brzeg, which specialises in Middle Eastern cuisine, and The Fry, where real Belgian fries made from fresh potatoes are served.

In the office section, Mindspace, Symphar, Lloyd Properties and Multimedia have extended their contracts. A new tenant has also moved in: the Resist Rezanko Sitek law firm, which provides comprehensive legal consulting services for business.

The commercial success of Hala Koszyki is the result of several factors: the phenomenal atmosphere of the place, the fantastic tenants who make up its rich tenant mix, as well as the work of its excellent team of professionals with extensive experience in running and managing mixed-use projects. This experience is now also being transferred to Renoma in Wrocław, which is undergoing a complete metamorphosis. Thanks to this, this gem of the city’s historical architecture will ultimately become a popular meeting place for fashion, business and good taste,

explains Barbara Wójcik.