Eataly Opens Its Second U.S. Location in Chicago

Eataly, the Italian food and wine marketplace, opened its second U.S. outpost on December 2, 2013 at 4 PM. Just as every other Eataly around the world, Eataly Chicago was molded after the first Eataly in Turin, Italy, founded by Oscar Farinetti in 2007, company officials say. Like Eataly New York, the second U.S. store opens as a partnership between Eataly Italia, Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich of Batali-Bastianich (B&B) Hospitality Group, and Adam and Alex Saper, brothers and operating partners. At 63,000 square feet, the Chicago store will have plenty for visitors to shop, taste and savor including: seven boutique eateries (La Pizza & La Pasta, La Carne, Il Pesce, Le Verdure, La Piazza, Il Fritto, La Birreria) and a fine dining restaurant, Baffo (to open at a later date;) retail counters, including meat, fish, fresh pasta, pastry and chocolate, cheese and cured meats; two coffee bars, Lavazza and Vergnano; a Nutella corner; a bakery; a mozzarella lab; a gelateria; grocery department including sweets, spreads and jams, more than 100 olive oils – resting under the shade of an olive tree – dry pastas and condiments; a houseware section; a book store; Vino Libero, the wine bar and store; a micro brewery; a cooking school; various private event spaces, and much more, officials say. “The city of Chicago boasts such a great food culture; we are very excited about this new opening,” says Oscar Farinetti, founder of Eataly. “The store is gorgeous and we hope Chicagoans will love it just as much as we do.” Eataly cooks what it sells and sells what it cooks, meaning nearly every ingredient used in the restaurants will be also be available for retail purchase, officials say. Eataly encourages its customers to “eat, shop, learn” and the marketplace will afford all occasions to do just this, they add. Eataly USA has also recently opened a blog, The Eataly Diaries, and an official Eataly Chicago Facebook Page for consumers to stay tuned and check back as the countdown to the opening starts. Located in Macerich’s The Shops at North Bridge in the heart of the famed Michigan Avenue District, Eataly Chicago officials say it will be a culinary destination for Chicagoans, out-of-towners, epicureans and Italophiles.