2201 W Howard St, Chicago, IL, 60645

Description:

PREMIER HYBRID EXPERIENTAL RESTAURANTS & CLOUD KITCHENS

New Construction | Trophy Corner | Chicago–Evanston Gateway

Positioned at the highly trafficked trophy corner of Howard Avenue and Ridge Avenue, forming the gateway and physical demarcation between Chicago and Evanston, this new-construction, purpose-built culinary asset represents the next generation of restaurant real estate.

This project transcends the definition of a traditional ghost kitchen and exceeds the functionality of a basic cloud kitchen. The asset is best described as a Hybrid Cloud Kitchen & Experiential Restaurant Hub — a dual-level, vertically integrated food campus combining flagship, customer-facing restaurants at grade level with a fully built, technology-enabled cloud kitchen platform at the lower level.

Unlike delivery-only facilities, this property supports:


Full brick-and-mortar restaurant operations
On-site dining and outdoor patio seating
Customer pickup and third-party delivery
Technology-driven ordering and brand visibility
Multi-brand scaling within a single asset
On-Site Parking


This is a flagship + production model, not a back-of-house warehouse kitchen.

Designed for national credit tenants, emerging restaurant brands, and multi-unit operators, the property enables operators to maximize brand exposure, operational efficiency, and multi-channel revenue generation within one institutional-quality platform.

Grade Level | Flagship Restaurant Spaces (Two Total)

The ground floor features two (2) independent, fully built restaurant spaces, each designed for immediate operation with premium restaurant infrastructure in place.

Area & Configuration


Approximately 1,500 SF per restaurant
Dedicated dining area: 23’2” × 39’1” (approximately 900 SF)
12.2-foot clear ceiling heights, creating an open, modern dining environment
Ingress and egress from both Howard Avenue and Ridge Avenue
Finished customer pickup window


Kitchen Infrastructure


Individual 10 & 12 Feet commercial hood per restaurant, each with fire suppression
Grease traps per restaurant
Dedicated walk-in refrigeration per restaurant:
Three-compartment commercial warewashing sink
Dedicated food preparation sink
Separate janitorial/mop basin


Restaurant A


Walk-in Cooler: 8’x12’
Walk-in Freezer: 8’x12’


Restaurant B


Walk-in Cooler: 8’x12’
Walk-in Freezer: 8’x8’


Guest & Site Amenities


Two ADA-compliant restrooms on the first floor
Outdoor patio seating, enhancing dine-in and seasonal activation
Dedicated pickup zone supporting take-out and delivery
High-visibility ordering kiosks
Wireless charging stations integrated into the customer waiting/lounge area


Each restaurant is designed to function as a standalone flagship location while benefiting from the building’s centralized ordering, pickup, and delivery ecosystem.

Centralized Digital Ordering, POS & Customer Experience

At the core of the building is a centralized, tech-forward ordering ecosystem designed to enhance customer flow, brand visibility, and operational performance.


Digital menus and monitors displaying all restaurant and cloud kitchen brands
Pickup-number display system for seamless order fulfillment
Central POS integration connecting:

In-person orders
Mobile orders
Brand-specific websites
Third-party delivery platforms

Food Lockers for Online Delivery orders & Food Pickup




Individual branded websites automatically generated and maintained through the POS
Unified backend enabling operators to:

Manage menus across locations
Adjust pricing dynamically
Track analytics, order volume, and fulfillment times




This system creates a frictionless omnichannel customer journey, whether dining on-site, picking up, or ordering remotely.

Lower Level | Cloud Kitchen Platform (Six Kitchens)

The lower level is purpose-built as a high-performance cloud kitchen environment, supporting delivery-first, production-focused, and multi-brand operators.

Kitchen Suite Configuration


Two (2) kitchens: 9’5” × 19’7”
Two (2) kitchens: 9’2” × 19’7”
Two (2) kitchens: 14’2” × 16’2”
Eight-foot hood in every kitchen, each with:

Dedicated fire suppression
Code-compliant ventilation




Shared & Support Infrastructure


One walk-in freezer with shelving racks: 8’x11’
One walk-in cooler with shelving racks: 11’x14’
Two separate dry-storage rooms with shelving racks
Dedicated prep and staging zones
Two ADA-compliant restrooms
Employee break area
Delivery lift / freight dumbwaiter serving all levels for:

Food transport
Supply movement
Cold-storage transfers


Central data room supporting POS systems, order aggregation, and monitoring


This configuration allows multiple brands to operate independently while benefiting from shared infrastructure, reduced occupancy costs, and enterprise-level systems.

Advanced Cloud Kitchen & Technology Ecosystem

Next-Generation Hybrid Restaurant Infrastructure

The cloud kitchens are designed as a fully integrated smart-kitchen operating platform, enabling rapid deployment and scalable growth.

Order Management & Kitchen Technology

Each kitchen supports simultaneous multi-channel order flow, including:


In-store orders
Mobile app orders
Brand-specific websites
Third-party delivery platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, etc.)
Catering and bulk orders


Kitchen Display Systems (KDS)


Dedicated KDS screens per kitchen with printers
Color-coded order prioritization (pickup, delivery, catering)
Real-time order countdown timers
Auto-routing to prep stations
Order throttling during peak demand
Performance analytics tracking prep time and accuracy


Centralized POS & Order Aggregation Intelligence


Unified dashboard managing all ordering platforms
Real-time menu synchronization
Instant pricing and availability updates
Automated tax calculations by jurisdiction
Integrated loyalty programs and promotions
Sales, labor, and performance analytics by brand


Each tenant receives:


Dedicated POS instance
Branded ordering website
Secure merchant account
Full data ownership and reporting access


Digital Brand Visibility & Fulfillment Experience


Central digital brand wall displaying:

All restaurant and cloud brands
Live order numbers
Estimated pickup times


Dynamic brand rotation and logo animations


Smart Pickup Zone


Numbered pickup shelves with LED indicators
Optional smart pickup lockers with:

QR-code access
Hot / ambient / cold temperature control
Automated customer notifications


Separate courier circulation to minimize congestion


Building Systems & Site Specifications


1,200-amp electrical service
Three-zone furnace system:

Lower-level cloud kitchens
First-floor restaurant kitchens
First-floor dining areas


Sump pump and advanced drainage
Modern life-safety and fire-suppression systems
Entire site: 111’10” × 170’


Parking & Access


23 striped parking spaces, including ADA-compliant spaces
Dedicated areas for:

Customer pickup
Third-party delivery drivers
Vendor and supply deliveries




Ideal Tenant Profile


National credit restaurant brands seeking flagship visibility with delivery scale
Multi-concept and multi-unit operators
Fast-casual, QSR, and chef-driven brands
Delivery-first concepts transitioning into brick-and-mortar
Established operators entering new markets efficiently



Located at the intersection of Howard Street and Ridge Avenue, commanding a trophy gateway location directly on the Chicago–Evanston municipal boundary.



Trophy Corner Location: Prime Howard & Ridge hard corner at the Chicago–Evanston gateway with dual frontage and exceptional flagship visibility.
Hybrid Flagship + Cloud Model Two storefront restaurants plus six commissary kitchens delivering dine-in presence and delivery-scale production in one.
Fully Built Development: Turnkey restaurants with hood, grease trap, walk-ins, patio seating, pickup window, and 12’+ ceilings for immediate operation.
Enterprise Digital Ecosystem: Centralized POS supporting in-person, mobile, web, delivery apps, analytics, loyalty programs, and full tenant controls.
Scalable Commissary Platform: Six code-compliant kitchens with shared cold storage, KDS systems, staging zones, and multi-brand flexibility.
High-Volume Design & Access: 23 parking spaces, dedicated pickup zones, smart lockers, 1,200-amp service, and optimized driver/customer circulation.