BLVD Market

Part dining hall, part restaurant incubator, this project was a collaboration with GENTEFY to create a space in Montebello that would support and cultivate the next generation of local restaurant owners. Conceived as a new typology for community-driven economic development, the project serves both neighborhood diners and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.

The design preserves architectural elements tied to Montebello's cultural history while introducing new, adaptable structures. The existing building on-site was removed, and four repurposed shipping containers were installed along the site's perimeter, framing a central outdoor dining space. The remaining historic elements—such as the exposed brick wall and the iconic arched stucco façade—were retained and restored, anchoring the project within the neighborhood's visual and material language.

The service components are organized along the edges of the site, while the open-air center becomes the social heart of the space. The largest container, in an L-shaped configuration, is dedicated to the restaurant incubation program, offering flexible facilities for rotating vendors. A setback at the corner engages the street directly, evoking the public plazas of European cities and inviting pedestrians into the space.

While the incubator program fosters Montebello's culinary future, the architecture pays homage to its past—most notably through the continued presence of brick, a material long tied to the city's manufacturing history. The result is a space that embodies the spirit of community-led revitalization through both use and form.

Location Montebello, CA Size 4,000 SF Budget 1.7 Million Status Completed 2019