O’Malley brings Faneuil Hall Marketplace ‘back to basics’

Savin Hill native Joe O'Malley is now the general manager of Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Dorchester’s Joe O’Malley is the new General Manager of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston’s beloved hub for locals and tourists flocking into the city every summer finding all things food, shopping and fun.

O’Malley, 34, jumped into the job in April, just as the city’s tourist season ramped up around the Boston Marathon.

“I was looking for a challenge and this being what it is —the hub of the hub —was a huge draw for me,” said O’Malley. “The job was made for me.”

O’Malley spent nine years working at the Hynes Convention Center wearing as many hats as he could to learn the tricks of the trade. His main focus at Faneuil Hall will be to give the marketplace a facelift with his team and to try new things with the hope of engaging the community and its local vendors.

O’Malley said it was serendipitous that Dorchester’s Bird Street Community Center was looking to open two pushcarts to sell their own glass-blown art pieces.

“We wanted to try something new with Bird Street. They have handmade quality products. We wanted to bring it back basics and try to capture why and what makes Faneuil hall marketplace what it is,” said O’Malley. “The ability to take care of those people in community and the surrounding communities is what it’s about.”

“It’s been fantastic,” said O’Malley. “The merchants, tenants, the team itself, they all have been so welcoming. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was able to jump right in and use the skills that I honed at the convention center and growing up in Dorchester, like the ability to talk with people and to take in all different angles, which helps me use my best judgment in moving this place forward.”

Faneuil Hall has free outdoor programming all summer long. For a schedule of the upcoming marketplace events, visit faneuilhallmarketplace.com.

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