A brand new winery called Chicago Winery is making its debut in River North, located at 739 N. Clark St.
The new 24,000 square-foot building, once home to a jewelry store and, more recently, the ZED451 Brazilian Steakhouse, is the latest project from First Batch Hospitality. The building will feature a 175-person downstairs area with a restaurant, bar, and winery, while the upstairs will solely be for events, with a 250-300 person occupancy. What’s more exciting is the outdoor terrace with a retractable roof and glass walls, providing an incredible view of the Chicago skyline. All of this will open sometime in mid-Fall 2022, according to Eater Chicago.
Dan Pearl, the company’s senior vice president of operations, tells the publication the unnamed restaurant will be run by Chicago native Andrew Graves, who helped open Next and the Aviary. All ingredients used will be seasonal and supplied from local farmers. While First Batch Hospitality currently sources its grapes from the West Coast and upstate New York, the group hopes to eventually use Midwestern grapes in the Chicago brewery.
“The food scene in this city speaks for itself,” Pearl tells Eater Chicago. “It’s something we very much wanted to be a part of. This is [going to be] a community gathering spot. We want the local community to come in for lunch and dinner and a glass of wine, to have their kids’ weddings here. This is a long-term relationship.”
