Craveworthy Kitchen at Hayden Hall
Food court · Loop ·
Ten food vendors, two bars, coffee shop, ample seating, Loop location
Ten food vendors, two bars, coffee shop, ample seating, Loop location
"A 25,000-square-foot food hall inside the landmark 'Big Red' office tower at 333 S. Wabash that was reopened to serve returning office workers and downtown commuters. Operated by a single franchise operator, the space was designed to offer a broad variety of fast-casual concepts so tenants and Chicagoans can sample multiple cuisines in one visit; it currently has five open vendors with plans to expand to eight. Hours currently focus on the lunch daypart (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) while the coffee bar and early-morning breakfast operator open at 7 a.m., and the long-term goal is to extend service later into the afternoon. Catering to building tenants and nearby offices is a central revenue strategy, and the operator also plans to rent parts of the dining room for meetings and private events. Security and nighttime street activity remain considerations for future expansion." - Sam Nelson
"Hayden Hall, a food hall that opened in January 2020, housed a concept by Susan Thompson which unfortunately did not sustain momentum and closed during the pandemic." - Naomi Waxman
"Love Foods features two salad bar islands, a hot items bar, grab-and-go coolers, and hot shelves with rotisserie chicken. Beverages include sparkling water, canned beer, and wine." - Ashok Selvam
"At the corner of Wabash and Jackson inside the famously red John Buck Company building in the Loop, I saw a new 25,000-square-foot food hall set to open Monday that combines a distinctly Chicago vibe with modern tech-forward ordering. The rumble of CTA trains outside the upstairs windows gives the space a uniquely local feel, while DMK Restaurants’ David Morton and Michael Kornick worked with designer Karen Herold of Studio Khave to shape the layout: customers walk upstairs, veer left into a hallway with seven food stalls, and can check a video screen showing estimated wait times for each vendor. Each stall has a lime-green art-deco touch and a Grubhub Ultimate touchscreen where you swipe a credit card or order via the Grubhub app, provide a phone number, and then get a text when your food is ready; Grubhub will also deliver select items. The hall includes two bars, a coffee shop, and ten restaurants (one full-service), and takes design cues from the Columbian Exposition—a Grip Design mural featuring obsolete maps leads up the stairs and whimsical monkey lamps punctuate the space—while honoring Sophia Hayden in its name." - Ashok Selvam
"A forthcoming bi-level food and drink venue inside the “Big Red” skyscraper, slated to open in January 2020, developed by John Buck Co. and DMK Restaurants; the concept was cultivated over two years with an emphasis on vendor diversity and features a mix of quick vendors and full-service restaurants. The initial vendor lineup spans barbecue (a DMK-run County BBQ in partnership with acclaimed chef Erick Williams), coffee and baked goods, hot sandwiches, a grab-and-go market with a prepared-food and salad bar, two full-service restaurants (one a 75-seat lunch-and-dinner space and a 16-seat wine bar), a vegetarian team’s new project, a Korean-American–led sandwich concept, and a seafood test kitchen offering new items alongside the brand’s popular dishes." - Naomi Waxman