Rick Bayless Pushes Forward on Mysterious Randolph Street Project

Construction workers were scurrying about Wednesday afternoon at the site of Rick Bayless' mysterious new project on Randolph Street's restaurant row. It appears there's plenty of work to be done before it's ready to roll.

Bayless had targeted a late spring or early summer opening for the delayed project, and his team has begun hiring. His representative says that "there are some personnel moves under way and the whole project is still several months away from its debut." The public doesn't know much about the project, other than Bayless previously saying it's going to be "a completely new concept that you've never seen before." The celebrity chef is still unwilling to divulge more details yet but promises to soon.

Crews wearing ventilation masks were seen coming and going Wednesday at the two-floor site at 900 W. Randolph St. Debris sat on the floors as workers continue to clean up the site. The windows remain boarded up with plywood, while the insides sat unfinished with wooden beams leftover from the previous tenants still standing from the floor to the ceiling.

Neighboring Columbus Meats has long vacated the spot at 906 W. Randolph, as the project will take up that space as well. That gives Bayless and company ample room for a nanobrewery, which is also supposedly part of the plan. Much more to come soon.