The Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group has unveiled a unique food shopping experience in San Antonio's livelyPearl district. The Pullman Market, packed with a grocery store, food hall, and multiple restaurants, offers an immersive gastro experience that celebrates all things Texas.

This concept was designed to provide a grocery store that sells the same high-quality ingredients used by professional chefs in restaurants. "It's about insisting on premium choices for our community members," comments Kevin Fink, 2016 Food & Wine Best New Chef and co-founder of Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group.

Sort of like an all-inclusive Italian culinary adventure in Eataly, Pullman Market is a microcosm of the Texan experience, neatly packaged in one stunning facility. Shoppers can conveniently buy Sonoran-style tortillas, Barton Springs Mill flour, Texas wagyu, Gulf oysters, Texan wines, and even bundles of locally grown flowers.

At Pullman Market, the grocery store is the hub, and its produce is sourced directly from Texan farmers. Every product available is put through a rigorous internal quality check before it goes up for sale. The emphasis is on local, independent businesses, but the main requirement is whether it provides a benefit to the community.

Many sections of the grocery store also function as quick-service food spots, demonstrating how to make use of available ingredients in engaging, economical, and thoughtful ways. You'll find a bakery churning out fresh sourdough bread and croissants, a stand full of fresh pasta, a tortilleria crafting fresh flour tortillas, a butcher shop with a burger concept, a fishmonger selling ceviche and tacos, and a deli counter serving sandwiches.

Exploring deeper into Pullman Market, you'll find casual, full-service restaurants like Fife and Farro that serve pasta and Neo-Neapolitan sourdough pizza and Mezquite which offers dishes from Mexico's Sonoran region. There's also The Mezcaleria, a dedicated mezcal bar. The Emmer & Rye team is also planning to open a fine-dining restaurant called Isidore and Nicosi, a dessert tasting venue later this year.

The real beauty of Pullman Market lies in how all these separate concepts sync up and showcase their ingredients. The same flour tortillas are sold in packs at the market and featured in tacos at Mezquite, the oyster platters at the fishmonger, and more. Wagyu beef and pork lard from the butcher are used in the tortillas. Leftover chicken parts are turned into innovative treats like chicken stock caramel swirl ice cream served in a crispy chicken skin waffle cone. Any scraps that can't be transformed into something delicious are composted and returned to the farmers.

While Pullman Market might seem like other multi-concept food halls such as Eataly, it distinguishes itself with its hyper-local, community-focused approach. "I dream of making [Pullman Market] a model that can be replicated not just by us, but by others," says Fink. He also hopes this concept will eradicate the stigma associated with working in the service industry and bring a sense of pride to those involved.

The launch of Pullman Market represents a significant shift in the grocery store industry that extends beyond San Antonio, potentially ushering in a new era of accessible, high-quality ingredients and entertaining shopping experiences. One could speculate that this market model represents the future of food shopping. For the time being, those outside of San Antonio will have to wait in anticipation for a similar breakthrough in their local food scene.