Urbanspace, NYC food hall pioneer, expanding to Chicago

Urbanspace, the New York City food hall pioneer, will open its long-awaited Chicago food halls after being on hold for more than a year due to the pandemic. It will open its 12,000 square foot Loop location on the ground floor of the 15 W. Washington Building at Washington and State in mid-September. It had been scheduled to open in April of 2020 just one month after the pandemic shutdown. Most of the vendors on board then will be part of the 2021 opening. The 14,000-square-foot food hall in Catalog at Willis Tower will open in the beginning of 2022. In the coming months, Urbanspace plans to have more announcements designed to support distinctive neighborhood chefs from around the city as they work to relaunch and comeback after the pandemic.

“We are thrilled to be opening in Chicago. The pandemic accelerated many trends, and one of them was food halls. There is tremendous demand for great food from real chefs served in a casual atmosphere. 15 W. Washington is a beautiful, large space where people can take a break from the office or hang out while visiting the Loop,” said Eldon Scott, president of Urbanspace. 

The 15 vendor booths at 15 W. Washington will offer a diverse and eclectic array of food and drink selections that include old Chicago favorites, popular neighborhood gems like the West Loop’s Sushi Dokku, Evanston’s Edzo’s burgers and Isla Pilipina which closed its beloved Lincoln Square restaurant in the beginning of the pandemic.

Three Urbanspace food hall favorites from New York City will operate at 15 W. Washington including the iconic Roberta’s pizza that helped define Brooklyn’s culinary scene and has long wanted to open a Chicago outpost. The vendors also include newcomers like Bhoomi which opened during the pandemic at The Hatchery. Launched by husband and wife team, Ajit and Sukhu Kalra, Bhoomi offers a modern, healthier take on Indian food. Ajit’s father was Jiggs Kalra who is often referred to as the czar of Indian food and was the first Asian to be inducted into the International Food and Beverage Gourmet Hall of Fame.

One of Chicago’s most successful bar groups, Footman Hospitality will operate both a bar and a beer stand at Urbanspace’s two Chicago locations. The bar at 15 W. Washington is called “The Peregrine Club “and will share similarities with Sparrow, the group’s popular Gold Coast cocktail bar.

The full list of vendors includes: Bhoomi,  Bianca’s BBQ, Budlong, Edzo's, Footman Hospitality’s Beer Stall, Happy Lobster, Isla Pilipina, Pita Yeero, Plant Junkie, Roberta's Pizza, Spanglish, Stan’s Donuts,  Sushi Dokku and The Peregrine Club (cocktail bar).

Gabbie Lenzi Littleton, a fourth-generation restaurateur from one of Chicago’s oldest restaurant families has been named operations director for both Urbanspace locations in Chicago.  She has run her family’s steakhouses, Erie Cafe & EJ’s Place, for the past eight years. (https://www.urbanspacenyc.com/chi)