More than a year after the unexpected closure of the former Little Italy Food Hall, a new multi-concept dining venue has opened in its place, bringing pizza, lobster, burgers, and Thai food to the fringe of San Diego’s bustling Piazza della Famiglia.
Global Fork Food Hall, the brainchild of San Diego-based Tiger Hospitality, opened late last month after a more than $3 million renovation that gutted the 5,000-square-foot space and redesigned it with an elevated, old-European aesthetic. The project was about six months behind schedule due to permitting delays with the city of San Diego.
Jim Krieger, Tiger Hospitality’s chief operating officer, said that being in a very high-density area with all the local residents plus the tourists gives them an optimistic feel. He said their expectation is not to take away from all the other places in Little Italy, but to enhance the area and bring more people down for yet another great option.
The food hall features six vendors. Tiger Hospitality operates three of its own concepts: Cosmos Burger, Lobster Lab, and La Vida, known for smoothies, salads, wraps, and bowls. The remaining vendors include Prik Ki Nu Thai Cuisine and Seattle-based Moto Pizza, recognized for its sourdough crust and Detroit-style rectangular slices. A Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream truck outside offers dessert.
Krieger noted that pizza is a big part of Little Italy, and the team fell in love with Moto after extensive taste testings. He said Moto does it a bit differently than other places in Little Italy.
The redesign by San Diego firm Basile Studio, known for work on CH Projects restaurants including Morning Glory and Born & Raised, features glass-enclosed vendor stalls with colored tile and wood accents, a new indoor-outdoor bar with electronically controlled liquor shelves, and plentiful seating with tables and booths. Live music is already being offered on Friday and Saturday nights.
The venue occupies the ground floor of a 97-unit apartment building developed by H.G. Fenton in 2018. The previous food hall, operated by Grain and Grit Collective, closed in February 2025 after a seven-year run.
Tiger Hospitality, which already runs a food hall in San Clemente, has ambitious expansion plans. In September, it will open Station 8 Public Market at UC San Diego across from the La Jolla Playhouse, featuring nine vendors including Moto, House of Bao, and CoCo Playa. The company is also launching Lobster Lab as a standalone concept at the Sky Deck within Del Mar Highlands Town Center next week.
For Little Italy, one of San Diego’s most visited neighborhoods, the reopening of the food hall restores a key dining destination that had been dark for over a year, adding to the area’s growing reputation as a culinary hub.
