Level up
Measuring 6,300 square feet over two floors, Eataly Chicago combines a European-style market with 23 restaurants, a wine shop and a cooking school.
Perfect fit
Eataly tailors each store to fit the location. Although high-quality Italian items are often the focus, U.S. markets actually sells more local and domestic products.
Satisfied shoppers
The target customer for Eataly is anyone who eats and shops in Chicago, Goldsmith said. “We want to get people in who are going to be able to experience the quality. And obviously if they experience the quality we hope that they'll come back.”
Open kitchens
“Everything that you’re eating is prepared right in front of you. And everything is see-through, even the store. From one end of the store you can see clear through to the other end,” said Goldsmith.
Dining in
Restaurants range from upscale Baffo to a Lavazza coffee bar to La Piazza, which combines four eateries focused on mozzarella, cured meats and cheeses, fried foods and raw fish and meat.
Expansion plans
The next U.S. location will likely be a second store in New York — although it could also be in Los Angeles or Philadelphia or Miami, Goldsmith said.
“So ideally, if we could successfully roll out a store very year to year-and-a-half moving forward we’ll be really happy. But it’s a big, big undertaking.”
See related story: Eataly Chicago focuses on quality, education
