Gibson Food Hall & Market opened July 10 at 11 S. Sixth Ave., replacing the longtime Johnny Gibson's Downtown Market with a food hall, revamped grocery, craft cocktail bar, and a hidden basement speakeasy. Co-owner Nick Wayne Eggman said early results have outpaced expectations, even in the middle of summer.
"In the first weeks we've exceeded initial projections," Eggman said. "Doing that in the dead of summer makes me so proud."
From neighborhood grocery to food hall
Johnny Gibson's Downtown Market opened in July 2015 as the first market to open in downtown Tucson in decades. The original market took its name from Johnny Gibson, a weightlifter, World War II veteran, fitness equipment designer, and local barber whose portraits hung over the deli area. Eggman and co-owner John purchased the market in September 2024 and operated through year's end before closing for construction on Dec. 21, 2024.
Construction lasted roughly six months longer than originally projected. Installing exhaust hoods above the food hall vendors proved to be the most complex part of the build.
"It took three companies working with the architect and engineers to do a lot of on-site reconfigurations to make sure the equipment met our needs as a food hall," Eggman said.
Four vendors anchor the food hall
Gibson Food Hall & Market selected four vendors through a mix of social media outreach and community connections:
Samurai Teppan Steak and Sushi
Don Ribs BBQ
Barrio Bites
Eggman says he plans to keep shelf space open on the grocery side so the team can respond to customer requests over time.
"From the beginning we recognized the importance of maintaining essential grocery items downtown," he said.
Pearl Lounge: a speakeasy beneath the grocery store
A hidden door next to a Red Bull cooler in the market leads down to Pearl Lounge, a new basement speakeasy with HighWire craft cocktails.
"You walk into a grocery store and there's a hidden door next to a Red Bull cooler, it's a fun element I think people will enjoy," Eggman said.
Eggman and his co-owner John also operate HighWire and The Grand, two established downtown Tucson venues. Gibson Food Hall & Market extends that portfolio into daytime dining and grocery retail, connecting the team's nightlife experience with the broader downtown food ecosystem.
"There's overlap and common threads that run between them," Eggman said. "Everything has evolved and come naturally over the past 11 years."
A downtown community hub
The hall seats 72 guests indoors and 24 on the patio. It opens daily at 7 a.m. and runs to 10 p.m. Eggman says the goal is for Gibson Food Hall & Market to become a central hub for the downtown community, and he hopes the project inspires other local entrepreneurs to invest in the area.
"I hope what we've created inspires other local entrepreneurs to join us downtown," he said. "All restaurants, bars, retail, and entertainment downtown thrive off each other. The more the better, it makes downtown a more varied destination that has something for everyone."
Gibson Food Hall & Market is at 11 S. Sixth Ave. For more, follow @gibsonmarkettucson on Instagram or visit gibsonmarket.com. For background on the original market, read the Tucson Foodie coverage of Johnny Gibson's closing and rebrand.
