John Buck partnering with DMK Restaurants on big food hall in Loop tower

UPDATE, Feb. 26, 2 p.m.: The John Buck Company is partnering with DMK Restaurants on a 30,000-square-foot food hall at 333 South Wabash Avenue.

The two-story venue, to be named Hayden Hall, is part of renovations Chicago-based John Buck is making to the bright red 45-story Loop tower, according to the Tribune. The property used to bear the name of CNA Financial.

DMK is behind restaurants including Ada Street, DMK Burger Bar, Fish Bar, Fort Willow and Marshall’s Landing in the Merchandise Mart. Hayden Hall will be among the largest Chicago food halls. It will feature food stations around a communal seating area, and will also feature pickup, delivery and full-service-dining options, according to the Tribune.

CNA left the building last year for John Buck’s new 35-story tower at 151 North Franklin Street, bringing the CNA Center name with it. Facebook last year signed a 263,000-square-foot lease in the 807,000-square-foot building, which also includes law firm Hinshaw & Culbertson as a tenant.

To replace CNA at 333 South Wabash, John Buck signed Northern Trust Corporation to a 462,000-square-foot lease that also gives it naming rights to the building sometimes known as “Big Red,” according to the Tribune. Northern Trust is set to move in next year.

Hayden Hall joins a growing number of food halls cropping up Downtown. Those include a 13,000-square-foot location from Galley Group owned by McCaffery Interests in Fulton Market and Urbanspace’s location in Blackstone Group’s new addition at the base of the Willis Tower. New Orleans’ St. Roch Market was also looking to open an outlet inside the new McDonald’s headquarters, also in Fulton Market. [Chicago Tribune] — John O’Brien

This story has been updated to correct the name of DMK Restaurants.