POOL Tests the Waters: Soft Opening July 30

POOL, the new collaborative market in Mesa, opens to the public July 30 at 10 a.m. for a test run before its grand opening this September, and more than 40 merchants will be open for business with plenty of food vendors to taste.

By Hannah E Williams

July 22, 2010

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POOL, the new collaborative market in Mesa, opens to the public July 30 at 10 a.m. for a test run before its grand opening this September, and more than 40 merchants will be open for business.

Care to be ~~an unpaid guinea pig~~ amongst the first to check out the trendy new market space next weekend? There are plenty of places to graze.

Here's the rundown of food on-site:

Grab a cup of coffee to start the day at East Main Street Café, open at 7 a.m.
Peruse the first Arizonian indoor Farmer's Market for fresh local produce.
Grab lunch at Gallo Pinto Empanadas, Josepi's Hot Dogs, Pan Asian Bistro or Pedrito's.
Cool down with a frozen treat from Poppy's Shaved Ice or satisfy your sweeth tooth at Sugar Mama's Sweets or I Dream of Donuts.

Between helpings, scope out the other wares, including flowers, kids' clothes, clocks and hats, just to name a few. Heck, you can even get a haircut.

Renovations are still underway to transform the big box retail space that was once a Mervyn's into the collaborative market its founders envisioned, scheduled to be completed before its September grand opening.

"We are perfecting our concept while we finish renovations and we're adding new merchants every day," POOL CEO and Co-Founder Brad Weinstock said.

When finished, the market will house the following purpose-specific spaces:

An indoor/outdoor Farmer's Market with fresh local produce.
The Living Room for entertainment and interaction.
The Garden, an indoor/outdoor green space with dining areas.
And the catch-all, self-explanatory Meet/Gather/Rest/Learn spots to meet friends, host social events, relax, and enroll in chef-hosted cooking classes.

POOL will be open for business Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through the summer and is located at 1240 East Main Street in Mesa. For more information on the concept, check out our post about its inception.

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