Fast, Fresh & Fun Convenience Retail Tour, Chicago 2017
October 2017
Our recent consumer survey from Culinary Visions® Panel revealed that 84% of the consumers surveyed agreed that while convenience is important, they won’t compromise on taste. With this guide, you won’t have to compromise either.
This self-guided tour includes our choice of deli counters, marketplaces, gourmet sandwich shops, cucine and grab and go stations best exemplifying the fast, fresh and fun trends. And of course, they’re all delicious.
City Center & Nearby
For your convenience, none of our selected eateries stray too far from the heart of the city. Our journey starts downtown near the Loop, sweeps west toward the ever-evolving Fulton Market meatpacking district, dances back north toward the stylish Lincoln Park and Bucktown, and finally settles westward again for a delicious descent into Logan Square. Happy dining!
Peach and Green
Loop
33 S Wabash Ave
www.peachandgreen.com | (312) 263-5849
Irish-inspired Peach and Green provides wholesome, nutritious, additive-free, preservative-free food while also featuring bold flavors with wide-ranging global influence. Customers can visit a variety of different stations where they can help themselves or choose from pre-made options. One unique variation that many customers like is that they charge by the size of the container or dish and not the weight of the food, which is contrary to most hot/cold bars.
Forum 55
Loop
55 E Monroe St
www.forum55chicago.com | (312) 849-9512
Loop residents and workers eagerly await the opening of this up and coming food hall, which will feature Chicago restaurant brands as well as rejuvenate a 30 year old corporate cafeteria space. Contracted with the Eurest branch of Compass, the space will be given modern aesthetic, incorporate self-order kiosks, and serve as a market for locally made retail and grab and go items.
Hannah’s Bretzel
Loop
131 S Dearborn St
www.hannahsbretzel.com | (312) 621-1111
A staple in the quick service scene in Chicago since 2005, Hannah’s is a leader in made-to-order sandwiches. Although they also serve soups, salads, and breakfast if you get there early enough, their niche lies in their unique, house-made pretzel bread—or simply bretzel, as they call it. The self-described “über” sandwich shop also focuses on
organic ingredients and green business practices, including powering their stores 100 percent through wind and solar sources.
Pastoral
West Loop
131 N Clinton St
www.pastoralartisan.com | (312) 454-2200
Located inside of the French Market, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread, & Wine is a small space that turns out big lunch crowds. Gourmet sandwiches such as known favorite Blue Pig & Fig entice customers with ingredients like Serrano ham, Ader Kase blue cheese, local fig preserves, field greens and whole grain Dijon mustard. Other locations are on Lake Street in the Loop and East Lakeview, where an accompanying Bar Pastoral opened in 2012.
Farmer’s Fridge
Locations across Chicago to choose from
www.farmersfridge.com
A revolutionary concept for a contemporary world, Farmer’s Fridge features freshly made meals displayed in jars and sold out of a sleek vending machine. Portable dishes like peach caprese salad, almond butter oatmeal, and salmon niçoise boast high quality ingredients that are often locally sourced. With close to 80 locations across Chicago and plans to expand throughout the Midwest, the kiosks are generally found in convenience store, office and institutional settings.
3 Greens Market
River North
354 W Hubbard St
www.3greensmarket.com | (312) 888-9195
3 Greens is an eclectic space that features the best of one of Chicago’s most active restaurant groups, Hogsalt. Under the same roof, customers can enjoy a Small Cheval burger, a Dillman’s pastrami sandwich and a treat from the Doughnut Vault. The market also offers an array of freshly prepared self-serve options on their flagship 18-foot hot and cold bar. It’s a food hall experience, but all from the same restaurant group.
Bea’s Market
Streeterville
671 N St Clair St
www.beatrixchicago.com/streeterville/market/ | (312) 642-0001
An extension of Lettuce Entertain You’s Beatrix restaurant concept, Bea’s Market features Chef-prepared soups, salads and sandwiches in a grab and go and hot/cold bar format with a focus on scratch cooking from nutritious ingredients. Bea’s is a more upscale and health-driven version of LEYE’s other “Restaurant Markets”, Foodease and Foodlife in Water Tower Place.
Honeygrow
Fulton Market
179 N Morgan St
www.honeygrow.com | (312) 989-3926
Originating from Philadelphia, this customizable stir-fry and salad chain is a fine dining-inspired concept in a counter service setting. With a primary focus on sourcing high quality, often local ingredients and plant-heavy meals, one of Honeygrow’s most interesting aspects is their tech-savvy ordering system that allows customers to place
their orders on touch screens and pick their meals up at the cash register.
Publican Quality Meats
Fulton Market
825 W Fulton St
www.publicanqualitymeats.com | (312) 445-8977
PQM is equal parts a butcher shop, deli, sandwich counter and gourmet market, all wrapped up into one tiny space in the meat-packing district. Customers who live in the neighborhood can get a lot of gourmet staples for their kitchens and also experience a casual meal from one of the city’s most beloved chefs, Paul Kahan. Beer, wine and cocktails are served, but get there early before they close up shop at 6 p.m.
Snap Kitchen
Lincoln Park
1534 N Halsted St
www.snapkitchen.com | (773) 770-2780
The fast cafeteria-market hybrid serves pre-made and packaged meals made from scratch in a vibrant shop setting. With a strong emphasis on health, Snap caters to a wide range of dietary restrictions including gluten free, vegan and even paleo. Order online or from their own impressingly intuitive app for a wide array of meals for convenient
delivery or pick up. Customers can choose from simple grilled chicken meals to ethnic-inspired dishes like dan dan noodles.
Local Foods
Bucktown
1427 W Willow St
www.localfoods.com | (312) 432-6575
With the motto “know your source,” Local Foods is a neighborhood store born out of a wholesale food distribution service that focuses primarily on midwestern producers. The 27,000 square foot facility contains a market of retail goods, prepared meals, a butcher shop and a casual counter serving lunch and brunch that all center around the
concept of local and artisanal ingredients.
Dill Pickle Co-Op
Logan Square
2746 N Milwaukee Ave
www.dillpickle.coop | (773) 252-2667
Freshly opened in a new, larger space just this September, this neighborhood co-op is devoted to sustainable, healthy food and fostering community. Amongst the amenities of the 10,000-square-foot facility are a hot and cold bar, a deli, an extensive vegan selection and community room.
Half Italian
Logan Square
2643 N Milwaukee Ave
www.halfitaliangrocer.com | (773) 227-5600
Grocery, café, espresso bar, deli and cucina, this all-in-one store is inspired by the owner’s half Italian heritage. Locals love this surprisingly vegan-friendly spot, and it has become a destination for specialty items including olive oils, jams, grains, cheeses and sausages. Prepared items are made fresh daily and some of the imported pastas and specialty sauces make it easy to create a memorable meal at home.