This food hall and market was touted as Boise’s first. It’s closing — here’s why
When Chow Public Market and Eatery debuted with nine tenants in 2018, it was touted as a first for the City of Trees. The idea was to grab a bite, have a drink and maybe do a little shopping between tastes and sips.
But the end is near.
Eight years after it debuted across from what is now the Regal Boise megaplex, Chow is closing. After dwindling to a few tenants, the Boise Spectrum’s public market and food hall space will be overhauled and reinvented.
Chow’s closure date is still being finalized, but it will probably be the end of March, said JP Green, partner and retail brokerage specialist at real estate company TOK Commercial, which manages the Spectrum.
It’s part of a plan to reenergize the entertainment and shopping center on West Overland Road, including the former IMAX theater, which is available for lease.
“We envision some different types of tenants that have more of an attraction, more of a draw, than just the theater,” Green said. “It’ll be good for everybody that’s there in the center.”
Magnolia Beer + Wine Bar and Teal Magnolia Gifts shared news of Chow’s impending demise on social media. “Due to changes under new property ownership,” a note explained, “the building we are located in will be closing and our lease is coming to an end. Because of this, we will be permanently closing our store and beer and wine bar.”
Paint ’n Sip, an art studio, also will exit as Chow is phased out, Green said.
Part of the rejuvenation plan involves carving Chow’s 7,258-square-foot infrastructure into fresh possibilities. The idea is to reconfigure it into one or two restaurant spaces, or a restaurant and a retail space, Green said. Economic demand in the Boise area “will really kind of determine what ends up happening there,” he said.
Chow’s other remaining tenants, the rentable Flava Kitchen and catering company Food Culture, might remain active — but in an area that would be walled off, he said. “We want to do what we can to take care of the tenants that are there that don’t necessarily need the customer access and just do the catering,” he said. “But also reimagine or re-envision what the Chow space is. Make it a little bit more vibrant.”
The majority of the Boise Spectrum was sold in late 2024 to Fashion Point Newgate LLP, a father-sons partnership in Ogden, Utah. Fashion Point Newgate partner Landon Moyes told the Statesman in early 2025 that the goal was to maintain the Boise Spectrum’s focus as an entertainment center.
“We are looking to revitalize parts of it to draw traffic and keep it a good place for businesses,” he said.
Rethinking Chow would be a step toward that goal. Although the Spectrum’s prior owner described it as Boise’s first public market, Chow often felt more like a food hall. On Yelp, Chow rated 3.1 out of 5 stars. It fared better on Google: 4.4 out of 5.
“I think in theory, the food hall was a good idea, initially,” Green said. But, he added, “it never really got the traction that it needed.”
Regal has made significant recent improvements to its movie theater megaplex, including converting an auditorium to IMAX. Upgrading nearby properties with new, complementary tenants should enhance the Spectrum’s overall allure.
“With the theater doing its remodel and its refresh, we want to make that a vibrant hub like it used be,” Green said. “Where people can go catch a movie, have some family entertainment, have a bite to eat. That’s what we’re working to bring it back to.”