Avli, River North’s Hotly Anticipated Greek Restaurant, Announces Chefs

Two Greek American chefs will lead Avli River North

River North’s hotly anticipated modern Greek restaurant has announced that two lauded Greek American chefs will lead its kitchen. John Boudouvas (Francesca Group, Mia Figlia) and Billy Alexopoulos (Maple & Ash, Etta) will serve under chef and managing partner Louie Alexakis at Avli River North on 702 N. Wells Street, representatives wrote in a news release. The pair hope to continue to expose diners to contemporary Greek fare with dishes such as honey and fig saganaki and kataifi prawns, which are currently on the menu at the group’s Lincoln Park restaurant.

Beer behemoth moves all operations to Chicago and drops “Miller” from name

The beer industry woke up Wednesday to discover several changes from the entity currently known as MillerCoors. The company’s blog announced it would close its Denver office and shift all North American operations to its Chicago office. It’s part of a company restructuring that will cut “400 and 500 salaried positions.” They’re also merging its U.S. (known as MillerCoors), Latin American, and Canadian operations to form a North American unit. The MillerCoors name is a casualty and will be faded out on January 1 when the entire company will be branded as Molson Coors Beverage Co.

Alinea chef Grant Achatz ends accommodation free-for-all

As chefs across the country race to accommodate a variety of dietary preferences and restrictions (gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, keto, paleo, vegan, and more), a few have reached the end of their rope: most notably, celebrated Alinea chef Grant Achatz. He recently told his staff that pescatarian and vegetarian diners are welcome, as long as they let the restaurant know three days before their reservation, but he will no longer accommodate “aversions,” or cross-contamination allergies, according to Town & Country magazine.

Starbucks will invest $10 million in Chicago community development loans

And finally, coffee giant Starbucks announced yesterday that it plans to invest $10 million into community development groups Accion Chicago, Chicago Community Loan Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and IFF. These organizations issue small business and development loans to support economic growth in Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods, Restaurant Business Online reported. The announcement arrives just as the chain prepares to open its largest location ever on November 15 on the Mag Mile.