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Operator FAQs

Railyard is a unique kind of establishment with a lot going on at all times. Please see the responses below to answer questions you might have as a potential food operator. If something is still unclear, please feel free to reach out to us at info@railyardFVL.com.

What is Railyard FVL looking for?

Our ideal candidate has great food and a great story. We’re looking for chef-driven concepts, ideally local and diverse. Because each operator brings their own personality, we’d love to partner with up-and-coming chefs, or chefs who are looking to bring their business to the Fayetteville area, looking to grow their food truck or catering business to a brick and mortar space.

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We like to think of each operator as providing their own take on a classic food style. Your restaurant should have a unique POV vs just offering a basic, expected menu. The more interesting the story of the food, the higher the quality, the more we have to talk about and drive guests to the space. Elevated street food, or classic cuisine uniquely tailored to be approachable.​​

How do I apply to become a food stall operator?

All potential operators can apply through the website (https://www.railyardfvl.com/operatorapplication). Within the application, you will be asked to present a proposal which will detail your concept. The application begins the process of arranging for presentations, interviews, and potential tastings to be conducted by Railyard management.  We review all potential applicants and make determinations as to ensure a vibrant, non-repetitive and all-encompassing line-up of unique businesses and start-ups for a projected opening of Summer 2026.  The success of Railyard hinges on the synergy of a carefully curated, diverse line-up of operators.

What does a typical food stall look like?

Food stalls will vary in size from 20’ by 8’ to 40’ by 8’. Each stall will be 9.5’ high and can house whatever cooking equipment is needed. Railyard will provide a standard equipment package but any specialty equipment (e.g., smokers, pizza oven) will be provided by the operator. We encourage stall occupants to allow for some seating at their counter as well.  General seating will be plentiful but having some energy at the stall itself will help ‘personalize’ that space.  Each stall’s design must be approved for certain design criteria and process which will be established but we will do our best to allow operators to develop a personalized look and feel that is both eye-catching and unique.

What do you think it will cost a stall operator in build-out and overall cost of opening?

Obviously, there is no way to estimate a total to this without knowing what each stall will offer. However, it is our estimation that the tenant might spend within a range of $10,000-$25,000 (on a larger stall) to up-fit their stall. It is our estimation that your overall costs will be minimal compared to street side locations and overall size considerations – as well as not having to provide seating, bars, or other guest accommodations such as restrooms.  Estimates of costs do not include deposits, working capital, potential permits, fees and costs that tenants may incur in planning and permitting with the city and county.

What about storage?

Each stall will have cold and dry storage inside their stall. Larger, 40’ stalls, will have room for extra cold storage. Smaller stalls will each have access to designated overflow storage containers for both cold and dry storage. Every operator should have enough space to sustain operations for a full 11-12 hour day.

What will the license terms look like?

Licenses terms are for 12-24 months. Licenses provide flexibility to both the operator and Railyard management. Our license agreements are structured to allow operators to operate their business within a few guidelines and allow Railyard to handle every day maintenance and operations tasks to free operators up to serve their product. If a operator desires a longer term license, Railyard management is able to accommodate and provide a negotiated longevity discount on the license fee.

What about general maintenance, upkeep, and trash disposal?

Railyard provides those services as a shared cost among all operators as a part of the weekly percentage fee. Each stall operator will be responsible for and expected to maintain their areas with a high level of cleanliness and attention to detail.

What about pop-up space?

We have designated one 20 foot container to be utilized as pop-up space for food operators that are interested in doing very short-term sales (i.e., 2-3 days on a weekend). These rates are to be determined but due to the nature of the short-term concept, the daily rates will be generally higher than the daily rates for a permanent operator.

Will there be parking?

Yes! We have integrated on-site parking of 55 spaces at Railyard. Within a 1-2 minute walk of Railyard there are over 300 city lot parking spots available and the Franklin Street parking deck is 300 meters away. We are confident that with our on-site parking and public parking, Railyard will be fine.

What else do I need to know?

Concept inspired beverages may be offered at your food stall with prior approval however, operators are not permitted to sell alcohol related products.  Your guests may wander the venue and choose their own alcoholic beverages from multiple locations within Railyard and you will be encouraged to sell non-alcoholic beverages that best represent your food and vibe.

 

Railyard has a marketing and promotions staff that will constantly promote and book events. Our plan is to spotlight each operator through the course of the marketing cycle. The marketing plan is robust and includes all facets of print, online, radio, and video advertising. Stall operators are permitted to have their own marketing programs individually.  While it is impossible to estimate the percentage of time that there will be events in this open air space, there will be signature events and feature activation to highlight the overall food hall and drive foot traffic to food stalls.

 

As of right now, Railyard will be open seven days a week but this is subject to change.  The specific hours for the Food Hall are: Mon-Thurs, 11 am-10 pm; Fri-Sat, 11 am-11 pm; Sun, 10 am-9 pm. Operators are expected to conduct operations during these hours. Operator sales will end 1 hour prior to Railyard closure and online/to-go orders will end 30 minutes prior to operator closing. If an operator needs to be open earlier and close earlier (i.e., coffee shop) those decisions will be made on an individual basis by Railyard management. We understand operators need time off and Railyard will be closed on to-be-determined national holidays. Should operators desire to be closed on other days on a non-consistent basis, that will be authorized on a case-by-case basis with no more than 20% of the operators being closed at any given time. What is a food hall if all the stalls are closed?!

 

Each potential stall owner will be asked to present a simple yet thorough business plan that will detail the trade dress, specific stall concept/culture statement, design inspirations, menu with pricing and general layout of the space – all of which will become exhibits to the individual stall owner’s license agreement.  We have an array of stall ideas in mind but we will be completely open to new and innovative ideas that we might not have on our list of potential stall occupants.  Our collective goal is one-of-a-kind in all offerings and to that end we will conduct comprehensive food tastings with potential operators. A credit check will also be included as part of the application process.

CONTACT US

RAILYARD FVL


415 West Russell Street
Fayetteville, NC 28301

info@railyardfvl.com


T  /  910.242.3961         

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