The Academy Food Hall, a new community space in Poughkeepsie just opened featuring multiple eateries, a grocery market, a bar, and an event space. When walking into The Academy, guests will first notice a modern industrial feel with concrete floors and string lighting.
The space was designed by Amanda Baxter, of Baxter Built, one of the partners of The Academy. Amanda and Eric Baxter first came up with the idea for The Academy when they saw two vacant buildings in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie. While the two were still developing the idea, the Baxters met Christian Palikuca and he joined the team as a Managing Partner and Director.
Palikuca describes part of the core mission for The Academy as creating a space to build community. On top of building a curated space filled with local and international food and beverages, they’ve hired 75 full-time employees most of whom are native Poughkeepsie residents. “To have them on board and being so excited to be part of this vision and this team is really filling my heart,” Palikuca shares, “It’s part of what I wanted to create with our partners when I decided to move up here.”
The Academy Food Hall is open daily. The restaurants, open Sunday to Wednesday, 12pm to 8pm, and weekends 12pm to 9pm, are Smoke 33, Valley Taco, East-West, Hudson Hopworks, Cafe + Grill, and the Newburgh Flour Shop. Within the establishment is also a Market, a more formal restaurant called the Academy Kitchen, and, upstairs, wedding and event space Keepsake.
Opening soon, the Market will be a grocery store offering local produce, meat, cheese, and other essentials from 9am to 7pm. Inside the Market, you can find Deli+Grill and Cafe, both are open from 7am to 7pm. The Deli + Grill offers prepared hot and cold foods along with made-to-order specialty sandwiches, fried chicken, burgers, and fries. The cafe in the market serves local Ready Coffee, draft kombucha, and baked goods from the Newburgh Flour Shop.
Smoke 33 is a barbecue stand featuring smoked meats, house-made rubs, sauces, and sides. Valley Greens specializes in vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options with fresh salads, grain bowls, and cold-pressed juices. East-West offers ramen, rice bowls, bao, dumplings and stir fries. For local beer fans, Hudson Hopworks offers canned and bottled craft microbrews along with draft beer. The Cafe + Grill has comfort food favorites like burgers, fries, and fried chicken. Lastly, The Newburgh Flour Shop is a family-owned bakery offering artisanal breads, pastries, and wedding cakes.
Outside of the Food Hall, guests can also grab something to eat at Academy Kitchen, an 75-seat American-style bistro. The Kitchen offers a range of salads, entrees, and sides, along with craft cocktails, an international wine list, and local craft beer. They offer brunch daily from 10am to 3pm and dinner from 4pm to 10pm.
Upstairs in the building, Keepsake is primarily a wedding venue but it is also available to be rented for business events, galas, and other special events. The venue is 8,700 square feet and can fit up to 220 guests for a full sit-down dinner. In addition, it features a bar room for cocktail events, a private suite for getting ready, and an outdoor courtyard.
“We’re really looking forward to curating something special for the neighborhoods and our guests,” Palikuca says.
