Local Foods launches in newly renovated Brochstein space

By Hope Yang     11/19/24 11:27pm

Local Foods Market opened at Brochstein Pavilion Nov. 19, replacing comfort food concept Little Kitchen HTX. The opening, previously scheduled for the end of September, also features interior renovations to Brochstein. Local Foods is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

The new concept emphasizes convenience for students and faculty, said general manager Daniel Nossa. All menu items are available grab-and-go, purchasable with Tetra, and a self-checkout kiosk is available. In addition to food items — including gluten-free and vegan options, Nossa said. Local Foods offers coffee from local vendor Greenway Coffee Company, which also oversaw the now-closed Audrey’s in McNair Hall.

“We’re bringing Local Foods in, but we’re also reinventing ourselves,” Nossa said. “We’ll try to get you in and out within a few minutes.”

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Local Foods’ opening also accompanies changes to the interior space of Brochstein, including couch-style booth seating and a larger kitchen island. 

Redesigning Brochstein’s interior was necessary for the vendor to “execute more items,” Nossa said, but also caused unforeseen delays to the re-opening timeline.

“We concluded that a full redesign of the Brochstein would better serve its role as a popular study and hangout spot for our students,” Beth Leaver, executive director of Housing and Dining, wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We had planned a smaller renovation to minimize delays, but it became clear that a more comprehensive update was needed.”

The pavilion’s re-opening has also been received with boycott calls from Students for Justice in Palestine: “Genocide money comes to campus,” Rice SJP wrote in a Nov. 18 Instagram post.

On Nov. 1, 2023, a group of Houston-based restaurants participated in a fundraiser for “relief efforts in Israel.” Local Foods proprietor Benjy Leavit was among the participants, donating the day’s full proceeds from two of the restaurants housed under his hospitality group.

Nossa declined to comment.

Benjamin Tijerina, a Wiess College junior, said that he thinks coffee options will be crucial for the new vendor.

“Primarily, students use this space as a coffee shop,” Tijerina said. “I’m curious to see as [Local Foods] evolves, if people will want more coffee, or [if it will] focus on the food more.”

Julia Zhu, a Sid Richardson College freshman, said that the price of menu items at Local Foods could be a potential concern for students.

“I think it’s a lot pricier than other options on campus,” Zhu said. “So if you’re low on Tetra, you should not be coming here.”

Sid Richardson junior Advika Rajeev said that adding couch seating in the lounge area will be beneficial for students working in the space. 

“In the old design we only had four chairs,” Rajeev said. “I like the fact that [the new seating] makes group projects a lot easier.”

Nossa said that Local Foods proprietor Benjy Levit wanted to bring Local Foods to Rice as a member of the community.

“Levit grew up in this neighborhood,” Nossa said. “He would ride bikes through here and always pass by Brochstein Pavilion, so we saw the opportunity in the vacancy. It’s like, ‘Why don’t we expand our brand actually into Rice?’”

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