Layla & Ringo’s and DJ’s Great Room are coming to River North | Eater Chicago

"A full-service dining concept made up of three distinct areas: an entry Anteroom (loosely inspired by the entry area of RL, the Ralph Lauren–themed restaurant off the Mag Mile) that will open earlier and stay open later with its own bar menu and serve as a waiting area; a main dining room; and a private dining room. Morton emphasizes the business importance of private events: “Private dining is a big part of business nationally reflecting 50 percent of our revenue.” Menu development will be led by New York–based chef Jonathan Ho, who previously was part of the culinary leadership at Restoration Hardware, working with a Chicago chef team, and the offerings will range — in Morton’s words — from “everything from a great steak to salads to chicken parmigiana and smoothie bowls.” Siren Betty is handling interiors (described as leaning toward a contemporary casual steakhouse aesthetic) and HiFi is doing branding. The project is slated for early 2025 at 920 N. Wells Street; of the location Morton says, “We like to fish where there are not a lot of boats,” and notes that he generally turns down many pitches because “I don’t think most streets in America need another restaurant in spite of how clever and inventive we can be.”" - Lisa Shames