In the modern consumer economy, experience is playing an increasingly important role. We are looking to buy a special but authentic experience, in particular when it comes to food consumption. These developments have led to a resurface and reinvention of the traditional covered market hall. New versions of the conventional concept have been created, and these covered food halls put emphasis on creating an attractive public realm for the visitor. However, the different versions of the covered food halls have different public realms with varied effects on the sense of place and conviviality for the visitor. The aim of this research is to find out what the drivers of the public realm of the modern covered food hall are, and to analyze how these influence, and can possibly improve the sense of place and conviviality. Three case studies of new covered food halls in Rotterdam provided valuable insights. From the theories it became apparent that there are four drivers of the public realm when it comes to the creation of a sense of place and conviviality: economical, social, cultural and political. The case studies showed the same result, however it has come to show that the tangible public realm is first and foremost the result of the intangible organization behind the covered food halls, relating to the political driver of the public realm. The structure and the aim of the organization determine the other 3 drivers, resulting in the physical structure of the public realm, and the activities that take place in the space. Within the physical realm, elements such as personalization, flexibility and transparency have shown to be crucial to create a sense of place and conviviality. The organization behind the hall also influences the activities that take place inside and around the hall. In order to possibly improve the public realm of the covered food hall, it is therefore important to start with finding a fitting organization for the aims and goals the covered food halls has as part of the public realm.