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Here’s Where Chicago’s First Wahlburgers Will Open

It’s the second restaurant coming to the former Chili’s space in River North

A rendering of the space’s exterior from a real estate listing
Stone Real Estate

River Northers won’t get their baby back ribs back, but they will get some Wahlburgers. A spokesperson for the Wahlberg family burger chain confirms the location of the city of Chicago’s first Wahlburgers restaurant: the former Chili’s at 2 E. Ontario Street on the corner of State Street. The opening is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2018.

The Boston-area celebrity-backed empire-building full-service chain isn’t taking the entire Chili’s space, which closed in September 2016, as local healthy fast-casual Asian spot Brightwok Kitchen is also taking part of it. A real estate brochure for the building’s ground-floor retail, which includes Pinkberry, 7-Eleven, and an available space on the corner of State and Erie, also prominently features a Wahlburgers logo in the corner space on Ontario.

An initial story in May 2017 cited a franchisee to report that Wahlburgers’ first Chicago location was headed to an unspecified address in River North. Wahlburgers’ now-former CEO confirmed a year later that it was indeed coming, along with another Illinois restaurant in suburban St. Charles, but declined to the specific location of the River North spot.

Now, more than a year later, Chicagoans know exactly where it will be. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Wahlburgers River North

2 E. Ontario Street, Chicago, IL 60611 Visit Website

Wahlburgers

2 East Ontario Street, , IL 60611 (312) 265-1290 Visit Website