Pearl Brewing Company (1894); Food Hall at Bottling Department

Built in 1894 as the bottling department for the Pearl Brewing Company, the original Classical Revival-style building was destroyed by a fire in 2004. However, the historic cornerstones and stone nameplates were salvaged, and the building was reconstructed as the new "Food Hall at Bottling Department" in the redeveloped Pearl District. The Food Hall contains several dining options, offering a diverse range of cuisine at various food stalls and counters. Underneath the building, the basement contains a live music venue known as "Jazz, TX." The original Bottling Department processed beverages for the San Antonio Brewing Company even before the name was changed to the Pearl Brewing Company, which remained in business until 2001.

When the original Bottling Department building at the Pearl Brewery Company burned down in 2004, the historic materials were salvaged as much as possible. Although the brewery had already closed in 2001, a redevelopment plan was already underway for a new Pearl District that would incorporate the industrial buildings from the original Pearl Brewing complex. The architectural firm of Clayton & Little was hired to conceptualize a reconstructed Bottling Department building to match the original, which had been built in the Classical Revival Style in 1894. The plan entailed developing the site as a space to showcase the emerging culinary talents of San Antonio's many local chefs.

On an exterior side of the building, the architectural team also designed a steel and cedar patio for al fresco dining. The patio overlooks Gustav's Geysers, a splash pad and fountain in the adjacent green space known as "The Park at the Pearl," where outdoor community events are held. The patio also showcases the rusticated masonry on the building's exterior wall. Inside, the Food Hall offers an wide array of culinary options at food counters and kiosks. Concrete and tile flooring, industrial-era light fixtures, and exposed wooden beams work together to create a "refined, yet gritty" dining area. The interior space is also filled with natural light from the large windows.

The architects drew upon historic photos of the original building, including its decorative elements, such as brick corbeling and stone arches, which call to mind the architecture of the 1890s. The updated building, now known as the Food Hall at Bottling Department, also utilized the skills of local masons, welders, woodworkers, in addition to the project's architectural and design teams. The completed Food Hall building is located across from a campus of The Culinary Institute of America, which is also within the Pearl District. The district itself is the final stop on San Antonio's River Walk Museum Reach extension trail, which extends a couple of miles northeast of downtown.

Below the Food Hall at Bottling Department, the building's basement contains a music venue called "Jazz, TX." Doc Watkins, a jazz pianist who performs with his own trio, as well as with his own ten-piece orchestra, opened the nightclub in 2015. The venue currently offers live music via ticketed shows on Tuesdays through Saturdays, with an eclectic repertoire that includes both modern and New Orleans jazz, blues, big band music, Texas swing, Latin jazz, and salsa. The menu includes south Texas cuisine to accompany the live music and dancing. Since the club opened in the Pearl District in 2015, it has become one of the city's premiere venues for live jazz.

"About", Food Hall @ Bottling Department. Accessed April 12th, 2023. https://www.bottlingdepartment.com/about/.

"Bottling Dept. Food Hall", Clayton Korte. Accessed April 12th, 2023. https://claytonkorte.com/project/bottling-dept-food-hall/.

"History", At Pearl. Accessed April 12th, 2023. https://atpearl.com/about/history/.

"The Bottling Dept. Food Hall", Architect Magazine. July 15th, 2019. Accessed April 12th, 2023. https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/the-bottling-dept-food-hall.