:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57934875/Time_Out_Market_Chicago___COPYRIGHT_Chipman_Design_Architecture.0.jpg)
Six months after news first leaked, Time Out Group — the parent of Time Out Chicago — confirmed they’re opening a three-floor, 50,000-square-foot food hall at the corner of Fulton Market and Sangamon Street. The project calls for 600 seats and will consist of 16 food counters, three bars, a demo kitchen, plus retail and event space. The hall’s plans feature a roof deck and it should debut in 2019 at 916 W. Fulton Market, according to a news release.
This would be the Fulton Market’s first food hall — the closest is Chicago’s French Market in West Loop. While Time Out’s not ready to share details, the news release mentioned the market will serve as a reflection of Chicago’s “best culinary and cultural highlights.” That means Time Out will follow the same formula they did in Lisbon where in 2014 they opened its first market. The market appears on Eater’s Essential Restaurants in Lisbon. Time Out operates in 108 cities in 38 countries and the Chicago market is part of a bigger push in the U.S. as the company also plans opening markets next year in Miami and in 2019 in Boston. The Chicago market’s opening should follow Bean Town’s.
Time Out made the announcement mentioning the counters will be chef driven; don’t expect mall food court favorites like Cinnabon or Panda Express. The market seems to be taking a similar approach as other Chicago food halls such as Forum 55 and Revival Food Hall. Besides giving customers a smattering of the city’s best food, they also want to give lesser-known chefs a launching pad as those chefs work toward opening their own standalone restaurants.
Besides Time Out Market, there’s three other food halls coming to Chicago. The team behind Furious Spoon have plans in Lakeview. Wells St. Market — a 10,500-square-foot space with offerings from Jimmy Bannos Jr. (The Purple Pig), Takashi Yagihashi (Slurping Turtle), Shin Thompson (Furious Spoon), and Jeff Mauro (Pork & Mindy’s) — should open early next year. Progress continues in Uptown at Beacon St. Market.
