Fuel and Iron Food Hall is first of its kind in Pueblo

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Fuel and Iron Food Hall is now open in Pueblo. It's a concept that offers new restaurants to residents and is considered a culinary incubator.

The food hall took over the old Holmes Hardware Building, which has been sitting vacant for 50 years. It was the largest hardware store west of the Mississippi and was originally built in 1911.

"It burned down in 1915 and they promptly rebuilt it. When they rebuilt it they built with these column structures and no supporting walls which allowed this building to survive the 1921 flood," said Mo Montgomery with Fuel and Iron Food Hall.

Fuel and Iron has seven different restaurants inside and is helping five of them grow into their own brick and mortar. The owners told KRDO they chose Pueblo because of the unique food scene in the Steel City.

"Every restaurant is a new original concept of our five rotating restaurants and all the owners are local, the operators are local, and they all bring their own flavor to Pueblo," said Montgomery.

They're also making sure there's a sustainable workforce pipeline for the food industry. In August, an apprenticeship program is launching. It will be a three-year program where participants will leave with professional experience and college credits.

To find out more about the apprenticeship program you can visit the Fuel and Iron Hall's website.