If you love unique food and shops, The Market’s eclectic assortment of eateries and stores should definitely be on your radar. The unifying theme here is a commitment to artisanal, carefully sourced food and products.
Located on the top level of Santa Monica Place — the outdoor mall at the south end of Third Street Promenade — The Market is only a short drive from campus. It’s patterned, though on a much smaller scale, after San Francisco’s famous Ferry Building Marketplace, which similarly emphasizes local and sustainable goods.
The Market’s diverse list of tenants include:
- Groundwork Coffee Company — organic coffees and teas
- Chocolate Opulence — gourmet sweet shop
- The Curious Palate — restaurant focused on sustainability
- The Cookie Guru — organic baked goods
- N’ice Cream — organic gelato and sorbet
- Norcino Salumeria Cheese Bar — Italian deli
- The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories — cooking school
- Venokado Wine and Gifts — wine shop
- Benedetta — organic beauty and skin care products
- Magical Blooms — floral arrangements and classes
Prices at most of these places are generally in line with comparable shops in Malibu and West Los Angeles. For instance, a pizza and an iced tea at The Curious Palate runs about $15 before tip, and coffee and espresso drinks at Groundwork Coffee Company are priced similarly to Starbucks.
Beyond the vendors, the atmosphere is open and relaxing, with exposed ceilings and plenty of seating areas. The mall offers free Wi-Fi, so the location is also well suited to doing schoolwork.
The Market opened in May 2011 with most stalls occupied. However, the economy’s tepid performance affected several of the original businesses. These include Italian restaurant and pasta shop Primi al Mercato, ice cream vendor Beachy Cream and an outpost of Röckenwagner Bakery, all of which closed in the final few months of 2011.
The buzz among Market employees is that a new bakery will soon take Röckenwagner’s place and a butcher shop may open in the future. Management officials for The Market did not respond to inquiries on these matters.
Success Story
Hadley Hughes, co-owner of The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories, said that her business is doing well. “Most of our classes are full, and we’ve gotten to expand and add a lot of new classes.” She noted that foot traffic at the mall frequently draws in new clientele.
The school offers courses on pastries, chocolates, cooking skills, regional cuisine and more. Though it does not have a student discount, the school does reduce class prices by 10 percent if you book with a group of three or more people, or if you book three or more classes at one time.
Hughes also mentioned that The Gourmandise School has internships available for college students. For more information, visit the “Contact Us” section at their website.
