The Grand Hall, a new food hall, will soon join other amenities at The Old Post Office, a mixed-use development in the restored 2.8 million square-foot Art Deco building that recently underwent an $800 million renovation.
The Old Post Office dates back to 1921, although it underwent a large expansion in 1932 to accommodate the meteoric rise of Chicago’s postal-needs. According to the development’s website, the landmark’s rich history culminates in the fact of it having been the largest postal office of its kind in the world, processing 19 million pieces of mail a day.
After having sat vacant for more than nearly two decades, The Old Post Office has been reimagined and reopened. “Through historically minded restoration and repositioning, the long-vacant 2.8 million-square-foot Post Office is being brought back to life as a hub for business and commerce,” shares Gensler, the global architecture firm that over saw the project.
But back to the food.
The Grand Hall is expected to open on the first and second floors of The Old Post Office, according to liquor license applications filed with the City of Chicago. Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden, who co-founded 16” on Center (16OC), are listed as the Owners/Officers on the application, and this is great news for Chicago, as both bring years of hospitality experience to the project.
Finkelman declined to comment just yet on what we can expect from The Grand Hall, which is described on The Old Post Office website as being home to multiple vendors happy to serve tenants of the building as well as guests for breakfast and lunch. An opening date has not been announced.
All we can say is, the food hall is in good hands. Keep an eye on The Old Post Office’s website for updates.
