Southsea 'gem' Outside-in food court focuses on variety to become resistant to competition and Covid restrictions

Outside-In, on Middle Street, has had to consistently adapt since reopening in May this year.

Dozens of events are planned to take place over the next few months to increase footfall.

The court opened in April 2019 and is home to eight different independent stalls– serving Venezuelan, Italian and Greek food to name a few.

Vendors and management are hopeful for a successful turn around.

Kaiko McKay, the manager of Outside-In, said: ‘The concept is variety, so we want appeal to as many people as possible and make sure we reflect the make-up of the city.

‘With the breadth of food and events we have in one place, we can hold our own.’

Jazz and other music gigs, as well as charity events, have been scheduled to encourage as diverse an audience as possible.

This includes a dog cafe on December 19 to raise money for Hounds for Heroes.

The food court is facing financial competition from all sides.

Kaiko said the popularity of delivery apps is stopping people from eating out, a habit which is hard to break.

A new food court is also planning to open nearby in Palmerston Road.

The manager said the new competition have already tried to poach some of her vendors.

Kaiko added the business is financially stable and the adaptations made to social distancing and contactless serving will make them more resilient.

They have a two-year lease left in Middle Street, and the manager said the owners are taking a ‘cursory look’ at finding new home.

Despite the challenges, Kaiko believes the food court is ‘a real gem’ and can retain customers.

She said: ‘Once we get customers through the door, they remain very loyal.

‘I want the vendors to be rewarded for all their hard work, and hopefully when the restrictions ease, we can go from there.

‘This court needs people to eat in to survive.’

Many of the stalls – old and new – are optimistic despite the numerous financial trials.

The food court doesn’t charge fixed overhead costs, taking a percentage of revenue from each stall instead.

Burger stall Messy Chef started trading at Outside-In six weeks ago.

Co-Owner Sonam Rahman said they’ve been busy from the first week.

He said: ‘So far, we like it so much we don’t want to leave, and it’s a great platform to learn our craft and get some feedback.

‘With all the events going on, and the huge diversity of people that come here, we can’t not be excited.’

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Panormus Pizza is one of the original businesses at the food court, opening in June 2019.

Owner Vince Capasso said trade has been up and down recently, but he hopes for change.

He said: ‘We’ve started to slowly turn the corner from the pandemic.

‘We have a lot of live music events going on and the customer has so much choice here, there is always enough going on.’

Deputy manager, Abbie Clarke, is similarly positive.

She’s worked there for nine months, and said the court should hold its own if more Covid restrictions are put in place.

She said: ‘Enough people are still coming here and hopefully, confidence has built up overtime and lot of people are hardened to the restrictions.

‘There are precautions we have to take, but we all want to be out, so you have to remain optimistic.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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