* SteelCraft Garden Grove will include 20 artisanal retailers and restaurants selling goods from cargo containers as long as 40 feet on a 1.8-acre lot behind City Hall. (Rendering courtesy

SteelCraft) * SteelCraft Garden Grove will have a large communal dining space, where visitors will have options to buy merchandise and food from 20 artisanal retailers and restaurants

selling goods from reused cargo containers. (Rendering courtesy SteelCraft) * SteelCraft’s coffee shop in Long Beach. (Photo by Brittany Murray/Press-Telegram/SCNG) Show Caption 1 of 3

SteelCraft Garden Grove will include 20 artisanal retailers and restaurants selling goods from cargo containers as long as 40 feet on a 1.8-acre lot behind City Hall. (Rendering courtesy

behind City Hall. The lot at 12900 Euclid Street, previously occupied by a Black Angus restaurant that was later demolished, is owned by the city. The deal is part of a major effort by city

officials to revitalize downtown Garden Grove with destination shops and dining. “They’re looking for the right tenants that will bring energy to their city core,” said Martin Howard, chief

executive of Howard CDM, one of the Long Beach firms developing the food hall. The project represents a whirlwind deal put together over two months between the city, Howard CDM and

SteelCraft. The two Long Beach companies developed and opened SteelCraft Long Beach earlier this year. The outdoor urban food hall has drawn hundreds of shoppers to its 10-unit shipping

container center which features craft beer, ramen, pizza and coffee vendors. On peak weekend days, the center might get as many as 1,000 visitors. “People like to be part of something

different,” said SteelCraft founder Kim Gros. “It’s authentic.” Gros will be curating the vendors coming to SteelCraft Garden Grove, which is slated to open around this time next year. Due

to the success in Long Beach, she said she won’t have any problem finding boutique retailers and chef-driven tenants. “We have an overwhelming list who want to be part of the project,” Gros

said. She also has more room in Garden Grove compared to Long Beach. SteelCraft Garden Grove will be double the size of the Long Beach food hall, which has drawn national interest from

retailers and developers in Texas, Philadelphia and Las Vegas looking to revamp centers. Gros and Martin stumbled upon the empty Garden Grove site in April and immediately began talks with

the city. They were attracted by the city’s effort to revitalize the area. “Being part of their story is incredibly enticing,” Howard said. Garden Grove’s historic Main Street, for example,

is adding several destination shops and restaurants including the soon-to-open Barcode. The city is also looking to enhance its live entertainment offerings at Village Green Park and the

newly renamed the Garden Amphitheatre. “There’s a lot of potential here being one of the last old towns in Orange County,” Barcode co-owner Richard Trinh said of Garden Grove’s Main Street.

The 1980s-inspired bar and restaurant features Asian fusion pub grub with decorative elements that include Marvel and Star Wars figurines and an old-school Nintendo play system. The concept

is a partnership between Trinh and popular Orange County restaurateur Leonard Chan. The latter is no stranger to food halls. He operates several concepts including Iron Press and The Blind

Rabbit speakeasy at Anaheim Packing House and The Hatch at Union Market Tustin. Developer Shaheen Sadeghi, known for creating hipster malls that attract 20-something crowds, also plans to

put his stamp on the city. He is buying and leasing 17 parcels, mostly houses, that will be transformed into small businesses. Martin said Sadeghi’s project and SteelCraft Garden Grove are

expected to be linked by pedestrian and bike paths. Gros and Martin said it is too early to name tenants for Garden Grove. In Long Beach, vendors include Smog City Brewing, Pig Pen Delicacy,

Waffle Love, Desano Pizza and Steelhead Coffee. SteelCraft is leasing the lot from the city, a deal that will generate $85,000 in revenue annually. The project will also add 85 to 150 new

jobs. SteelCraft’s first location is at 3768 Long Beach Boulevard. Originally Published: June 16, 2017 at 12:27 PM PDT