Eater Inside

Inside the Wing, a Luxurious Co-Working Club and Cafe Designed for Women

The members-only club is slated to open next week in Fulton Market

by Naomi Waxman Apr 4, 2019, 11:30am CDT

Photos by Jasmine Pulley

The Perch, the cafe space at the Wing Chicago

The Wing is bringing its women-focused co-working space and cafe to Chicago, with a planned opening next week in Fulton Market. Founded in 2016, the Wing runs three locations in its hometown of New York City, one in Washington, D.C., and another in San Francisco. Management has big plans for 2019: openings are expected in Boston, London, and West Hollywood, in addition to the Chicago launch.

The members-only club is known for Pinterest-perfect design that weaves a celebration of working women into nearly every aspect of the facility. The Chicago “wing” pays special attention to its location, from conference rooms named for Chicago heroines such as African American investigative journalist Ida B. Wells, to custom-designed wallpaper bearing squiggly black-and-white illustrations of local scenes (these include the Wrigley Field sign, a Chicago hot dog, and a windblown pedestrian). This is the first Wing entirely designed by an in-house team, which drew inspiration from the prairie style of Midwestern architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This manifests in geometric floor tiles and furniture, as well as a muted color palette featuring green, gold, and dusty pink tones.

Amenities include a blue-and-white tiled cafe the Perch, the brainchild of culinary director Dani Dillon. The cafe seats between 50 and 60 people, Dillon estimates, with a range of seating options. Members can dine at large, round tables that seat at least five people, intimate two-tops, or at high tables with backed barstools that line the wall. Tall windows bathe the room in natural light, and potted palms and hanging jade plants balance the meticulously designed environment.

Behind a door labeled “personal space” sits a “beauty room” for personal care that also houses a private lactation room stocked with a pump, refrigerated storage, nipple cream, and a Diaper Genie. Pieces from local women artists, selected by in-house curator Lolita Cros, dot the walls and are available for purchase. The “ladies’ library,” a Wing staple created in collaboration with New York book seller the Strand and Andersonville feminist bookstore Women & Children First features literature about women’s experiences and perspectives. As in other locations, the Wing Chicago will be entirely staffed by women and non-binary people.

As previously reported, the Wing will serve dishes by acclaimed local women chefs, including Sarah Grueneberg, Diana Dávila, Anna Posey, and Q. Ibraheem. Stay tuned for more details on specific menu items that will be served.

Walk through the space below. The Wing is opening in Fulton Market on April 11.