Gallery: Downtown Jewel-Osco Gets Makeover

Photos courtesy of Jewel-Osco

Text and captions by Mark Hamstra

CHICAGO — The grand reopening of a downtown Jewel-Osco here is the first of more than 25 remodels planned for the market that feature expanded service and more perishable offerings and specialty product.

The Marketplace by Jewel-Osco, on the corner of Ohio and State street, underwent a makeover in nearly every department, the chain said.

“The redesigned Ohio and State location brings a reinvigorated look to our customers, while offering a fresh, new feel to their shopping experience, and it also brought many new jobs to downtown Chicago,” said Jewel-Osco President William Emmons in a statement.

New features include a self-service salad bar, a juice bar, an expanded cut-fruit section, guacamole made fresh in-house, a new bakery case with expanded high-end offerings, expanded prepared food sections with hot and cold offerings, and an expanded craft beer section.

To commemorate the occasion, Jewel-Osco said it would make donations to two local organizations and a grammar school in the community. The company will recognize Catholic Charities by donating $5,000 to support its wide range of nutrition programs, which could include its 11 emergency assistance food pantries across Cook and Lake Counties, its summer Mobile food program that provides healthy meals for children and its evening supper program.

The Metropolitan Family Services also will receive $5,000 to support its community schools programs, which provide a variety of educational, cultural and life development skills for youth.

Jewel-Osco also will donate $500 to the Franklin Fine Arts Center.