Feeding frenzy: Yet another food hall coming to Downtown

Chicago’s food hall craze continues apace, with yet another cafeteria-like concept coming to Downtown.

London-based Urbanspace announced it will open a 12,000-square-foot food hall at 15 West Washington State, making it the ninth to open or be announced Downtown since Revival Food Hall opened in 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The concept at 15 West Washington will be Urbanspace’s second location in Chicago, after it signed on to open a spot in Blackstone Group’s renovated Willis Tower. The Washington Street outpost likely will debut first, with a planned opening in the fall, the Tribune reported.

Food halls, which are upscale cafeterias featuring well-known food vendors, have been gobbling up thousands of square feet in Downtown and beyond. Their popularity could be boosting property values.

In 2015, Blue Star Properties and the Wolcott Group paid $28 million for the National building in the Loop, and the partners overhauled the historic building and added Revival, the concept that started the food hall craze in Chicago. Late last year, the property sold for $202 million.

McCaffery Interests signed Pittsburgh-based Galley Group to a 13,000-square-foot lease for a food hall in its Fulton Market redevelopment. That food hall will be blocks away from one the company behind Time Out Magazine plans to open at 916 West Fulton Market.

Also in Fulton Market, Politan Row Chicago is working to open its popular food hall concept in McDonald’s headquarters.

In the Loop, The John Buck Company is partnering with DMK Restaurants on a 30,000-square-foot food hall at 333 South Wabash Avenue. [Chicago Tribune] — Joe Ward