Diners flock to Chicago's food halls

CHICAGO – Chicago has always been a food town. Now, it's becoming a food hall town.

Food halls — the modern, upscale, urban reincarnation of the humble mall food court — have opened downtown and in nearby neighborhoods in recent years, and experts say their growth in the Windy City has just begun.

Why are food halls all the rage? They're a representation of where the restaurant industry as a whole is going. Boutique. Local. Instagram-able. They fulfill consumer demand for quick and diverse food options, with a curated set of both popular restaurant outposts and newcomers.

While the traditional mall food court has a group of fast-food options aimed at helping shoppers recharge, a food hall is made to be the whole show, a destination in and of itself with a cohesive, sleek design intended to elevate the experience beyond a grab-and-go lunch from a national restaurant chain.

"They are a destination. They bring excitement," said Doug Roth, founder of Playground Hospitality, a restaurant consulting firm. "Panda Express just can't do that."

Already widespread in New York and Los Angeles, there are about 35 to 40 food halls in the U.S., industry consultant Aaron Allen said. He estimates there could be as many as 200 across the country in just three years.

For restaurants, food halls are an opportunity to open a location with far less legwork. There's no long search for an ideal street location, and the start-up costs — a hurdle that often prevents fledgling restaurateurs from expanding — are far less. Profit is also far easier to come by because of the built-in foot traffic. Per square foot, a food hall stall can produce 10 times the sales of a traditional restaurant, said Allen.

In Chicago, the players include big single-company options like Eataly in the Near North neighborhood and Latinicity in the Loop. Another food hall model involves collectives like Chicago's French Market and Revival Food Hall, which feature multiple independent restaurants under one roof and draw big crowds.

HotChocolate Bakery owner Mindy Segal opened in Revival after deciding not to open a highly anticipated neighborhood bakery.

"I always wanted to do a bakery, but it got too expensive and out of control. So when this opportunity came up, I jumped at it," she said. The bakery sells a wide range of treats from breakfast ­pastries to cookies.

"For me, it's been a positive experience. It hasn't been easy, but it has been positive," she said. "I like being in a food hall — I like the camaraderie."

Smoque BBQ co-owner Barry Sorkin said he had a great deal of "trepidation" about opening in a food hall but changed his mind when the Revival operator 16" on Center said it would let the barbecue restaurant smoke meats on-site.