A “little taste of the South Side” has appeared inside 875 N Michigan, the building once known as the John Hancock Center.
A group of food companies from the south side opened the magic to get more exposure and give the Magnificent Mile a little more flavor.
The food offer varies from pastries and sweets to spices and local honey. One booth inside the building aims to highlight businesses in the market from World Business Chicago, an economic development organization focused on increasing downtown tourism and food entrepreneurship throughout the city.
“It provides opportunities for these food businesses to get exposure outside of their neighborhoods,” said Tamieka Hardy of the Greater Chatham Initiative, a development group that selected the businesses — Lem’s Bar-BQ, Essie Marie’s dressings and Comer Crops’ raw honey — from the Center for young Gary Comer.
“It’s a little taste of the South Side,” Hardy said, and offers an opportunity to spread the word about some “great food and dining experiences.”
Condiments from Lem’s Bar-BQ and Sandwich Goat are in the Chicago Food Stop at 875 N. Michigan Ave., a pop-up shop.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
The Chicago Food Stop will remain open until mid-March, though the lease may be extended. Located on the ground floor facing Michigan Avenue, the market is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays; until 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays; and on Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00.
Natalia Kapani, director of public investment strategy at World Business, said the market was supported in part by funds from the federal US Rescue Plan Act aimed at boosting food businesses that may have suffered damage during the pandemic.
It should also remind Chicagoans and tourists of the city’s dynamic food scene.
“Chicago has always been at the cutting edge of the nation’s diet, so it’s about making sure people don’t forget that story,” Kapani said.
An exhibition of historic food-related photographs from the Chicago History Museum highlights that history.
Chloe Nickson (left) and Peashaiya “Shaiya” Bailey stand at the Greater Chatham Initiative booth at the Chicago Food Stop at 875 N. Michigan, the two manning the market.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Among the options on the stand on the south side is Ms. P’s Gluten Free by Kenwood native Lisa Walsh.
Walsh started baking late, at the age of 42 in 2009. She changed careers after realizing how bad gluten made her feel and felt the gluten-free options available at the time “taste like sawdust,” she said.
By 2015, she formalized her business and today her granola can be found at Whole Foods in Chicago, but she said the market was a welcome opportunity to expand her gluten-free reach.
“It feels so good to know that there are opportunities, because for a long time it was the most difficult thing to be a minority-owned, female-led startup,” she said.
Photo booth at the Chicago Food Stop inside 875 N Michigan.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
After patrons snap selfies at a Bean-inspired spot or another one modeled after a CTA train, market managers Chloe Nickson and Peashaiya “Shaiya” Bailey said the business is about steering people away from the Chicago standards of hot dogs and deep plates toward contemporary options, like Walsh’s gluten-free goods.
“I’m a person who likes fragrances so I really want to buy some of this,” said Bailey, 23, holding a lotion from True2Mi Naturals at a booth on the South Side.
For Nickson, 19, who is a line cook at a restaurant in Fulton Market and is considering a career in food service, it was an eye-opener to appreciate the different paths she could take. “I’m definitely inspired,” she said
Michael Loria is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for Americaa nonprofit journalism program that aims to increase newspaper coverage of South and West Side communities.
The Chicago Food Stop is located at 875 N Michigan, formerly known as the John Hancock Center.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times