The Chopping Block, Chicago's cooking school and specialty retail store, is moving its original Webster Avenue location into The Merchandise Mart, Suite 107. With an expansive 8,000-square-foot space, The Chopping Block Merchandise Mart is designed to accommodate growing interest in private cooking events. Shelley Young, chef/owner of The Chopping Block, hosted her final classes at the 1324 W. Webster location in July; she’ll resume classes at The Merchandise Mart location in late summer. Lincoln Square classes will continue uninterrupted.
"The original location of The Chopping Block, of course, has great sentimental value to me as it is the place where I began this journey. But as our school has grown, so have the needs of our customers. As our successful expansion to Lincoln Square has shown, we are able to offer students the same attention and focus they have always received from our instructors and also expand our services to meet their growing needs," she said. Good business decisions, intelligent growth and understanding her business is why Young received the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Set to open in late summer, The Chopping Block Merchandise Mart will continue to feature the creative and intimate learning experiences that have made the school popular. The new school also offers space for large private events in the location’s three classrooms: Hands-On Kitchen (accommodating 10-75 students), a Hands-On Pastry Kitchen (up to 20 students), and a demo kitchen/dining space that seats up to 100 for a sit-down dinner/cooking demonstration event. The new location will feature a 1,000-square-foot retail space and a back-of-the-house kitchen so The Chopping Block’s team of experienced chef/instructors can cook for special private events.
"This is one of those magical opportunities you can only dream of, because it allows us to grow in a way that makes sense and precisely fits our goals," said Young. "The success of our fully equipped Hands-On Kitchen at Lincoln Square has been so phenomenal. People want to learn to cook by doing it themselves, touching the food and using the equipment firsthand, under the direction of a trained chef/ instructor. At this new Merchandise Mart location, the number of Hands-On stations will be six times greater than at Lincoln Square."
Located at 4747 N. Lincoln Ave. and, shortly, in suite 107 at The Merchandise Mart, at the corner of Kinzie and Wells streets, The Chopping Block is a cooking school and culinary store for the home cook. Call The Chopping Block at (773) 472-6700. |
