Gladys Announces Move to Larger Space Inside Edgewater Public Market

Gladys owners Rocky Hunter and David Grant announced today that their punk rock vegan food concept with a cult following will move into a larger space at Edgewater Public Market, which will allow them to add table service, a chef’s counter, and a beverage program to their offerings.

This summer, Gladys will leave the 276-square-foot food stall they’ve called home for three years and move into the 2,542-square-foot space formerly occupied by Meta Burger, which closed all its locations in December 2024.

“When we first opened our stall at Edgewater Public Market, we described our counter as a pilot episode for where we wanted to take our style of food and approach to hospitality,” said Rocky Hunter, co-owner of Gladys. “Moving into a larger space feels like a natural progression for Gladys that will help us further evolve our menu and service.”

That evolution will include table service in a clean, minimal, and warm space, a chef’s counter with a full view of the Gladys kitchen, and a beverage program featuring a rotating variety of spirit-free drinks.

“We’re arguably most excited to showcase our love for grandma-style hospitality,” said Hunter, who named Gladys after his grandmother. “And to serve our thoughtful, seasonal food on ceramic plates!”

“This is a big win for our market hall,” said Alan Bruno, COO of CentrePoint Properties, who purchased Edgewater Public Market from founders LCP Management in December. “The food at Gladys is among the best in town, and we’re excited to see what the Gladys team does with a bigger kitchen and more room for their guests.”

Gladys launched at Edgewater Public Market in November 2021, a joint venture of Hunter and Grant, who met playing in a punk band in 2006. Hunter worked as the chef de cuisine at Fruition, and Grant oversaw City o’ City and Watercourse Foods as culinary director. Both vegan for nearly 20 years, the duo made a name for themselves, and Gladys, quickly, with a seasonally shifting menu of vegetable-focused dishes.

“We often push the threshold of what can be accomplished with a stove and a counter,” Hunter said.

Those dishes include a vegan Reuben sandwich that has become a menu mainstay and their most popular item. Made with celery root rather than pastrami, and flavored with chicory kraut and horseradish crème fraîche, that sandwich is one reason “Edgewater Public Market has been a great incubator for our concept,” according to Hunter. “We’ve got a constant flow of both new guests who are curious about the Reuben plus many weekly regulars who love our ever-evolving menu and seasonally focused food.”

“Our market hall is already a popular spot for vegans and vegetarians,” said Dan Vivacqua, manager of Edgewater Public Market. “When the new, expanded Gladys opens this summer, it’s set to become an even bigger destination.”

The Gladys motto is “plants forever.” But fans of Gladys include plenty of meat-eaters. “Great food is great food,” Hunter said. “Ours simply happens to be animal-free, as well.”

Gladys is working on their new space now, and plans to launch their next iteration before the end of this summer.