A new food hall is coming to Kendall Square

A new food hall is coming next year to Greater Boston, bringing well-known dining concepts and bars for coffee and alcoholic beverages to Kendall Square.

Eastern Edge, an 11,000-square-foot food hall and event space located underneath MIT graduate student housing, is slated to open its doors in early 2026, according to a press release. Its name is derived from its location, sitting at the eastern edge of the MIT campus. 

The project was designed by Eimer Design, an architecture firm that has worked on dozens of food halls across the country, and Alabama-based Ithaka Hospitality Partners subsidiary Gather Group is in charge of development and curation of the space. 

“Eastern Edge brings together the culinary excellence, creativity, and authenticity that define Cambridge and Greater Boston,” said Hans van der Reijden, founder & CEO of Gather Group, in a press release. “From design to the curation of our culinary lineup, our vision has been to craft a destination that supports local chefs while offering guests an exceptional and welcoming experience. We’re thrilled to introduce the food hall and our first wave of partners to the region and can’t wait to share more in the coming months.”

Here’s what we know, as of November, about Eastern Edge tenants and the food hall space.

There are currently five confirmed food vendors:

• Clover: The local fast-food chain that started as a food truck on MIT’s campus is giving Bostonians another spot to grab one of their plant-based sandwiches.
• Juicy Jay’s: The first-ever location of this concept will serve cheeseburgers with house-made sauces and freshly-baked buns.
• Perillas Korean Kitchen: A local fast-food chain is expanding with its first location across the Charles, serving Korean Bibimbap bowls. 
• Everybody Gotta Eat: This Cambridge pop-up is finally getting a permanent brick-and-mortar space to serve its Southern and Caribbean comfort food.
• Viet Citron: From Burlington and Bow Market to (soon) Kendall Square, this casual Vietnamese favorite is growing, bringing its menu of scratch-made street food. 

Diners can order cocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages from two bars inside Eastern Edge. There will also be a “Venetian-inspired” cafe and bar serving coffee, pastries, and light fare during the day; that space turns into a “bàcaro-style gathering space,” sort of like an Italian tavern, in the evening. 

Eastern Edge can seat 275 guests, and the developers said the space can also be used for educational purposes, community activities, and private events.

What don’t we know yet? 

Only five of the nine food vendors have been announced, with more news to come about other restaurant concepts at an undetermined date.