The concoction Kahlisah described is a sinfully delicious blend of Italian and Swiss chocolates, fused with fresh raspberries and bitter-sweet, milk, white and semi-sweet chocolate. It is GiGi’s one-of-a-kind, signature warm chocolate soup, straight from the family recipe of two Egyptian cousins. They’re serving it hot now in Lincoln Park, across from Children’s Memorial Hospital, and downtown in the financial district.
GiGi’s, a new beverage bar with a twist, fuses a classic European-style cafe with a casual, cutting-edge juice bar that capitalizes on both the current coffee craze and our obsession with health-conscious living. Gigi’s offers a tantalizing array of lattes, including Tiramisu latte, frosty toffee latte and Irish Creme Brownie latte, all of which are brewed from Italian Roast Lavazza gourmet beans. They also serve hot caramel chai lattes, cold chai coconut cream sodas and fresh baked goods.
For the health conscious, GiGi’s also offers a choice of juices. Customers can combine fresh-squeezed orange juice, Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples, wheat grass, beets, celery, carrots, parsley, fresh mint, kale, lemons, fresh spinach, Romaine lettuce, ginger and pears.
And for those who want a drink that’s thick, filling and contains energy-boosting vitamins and minerals, there is the GiGi’s “Smoochie.” Since October, when the store opened, “Sarah’s Cotton Candy Smoochie,” a blend of strawberries, banana, mango, apple juice and low fat yogurt has become a best seller. Also available is Sherry’s A.M. Shake for those super-concerned with getting their morning allocation of vitamins—it is a concoction of whey protein powder, Nutri-Flax fiber, dairy-free acidophilus, banana and a choice of apple, orange juice or soymilk, a blend invented by nutritionist Sherry Belcher of Universal Health Institute, who consults for GiGi’s.
Also on the menu are the “Peachy Snowball” and “Bluehoney Berry,” but if these melanges are not right for you, GiGi’s welcomes inventive customers. And maybe, just maybe, if the staff likes your concoction, it will become one of their selections. GiGi’s offers 10 smoothie complimentary mix-ins such as echinacea, calcium, flax seed and bulgur.
GiGi’s, which is named after co-owner Ahmed Abdelaziz’s recently deceased mother, will eventually sell books on juicing and health foods in the shop, and hold lectures with their nutritional consultant and other community health conscious speakers to educate the public about nutrition, wellness and disease prevention. The owners also plan to have in-store educational videos on juicing and nutrition. They plan to cover the walls with the work of local Chicago-area artists and invite Chicago musicians and bands to entertain customers in the 25-seat bar area.
Kahlisah got into the business through his love of cooking—and at the urging of an aunt who always asked him when he was going to open his own restaurant. A former food and beverage director for a hotel, he purchased a home juicer 10 years ago and developed a hobby. He became a juicing aficionado, after a lot of reading about healthy foods, and decided to offer Chicagoans another alternative to boost themselves through the day.
GiGi’s owners pride themselves on their open business philosophy, which includes making friends with the customers and staff. The owners see their business as an equilateral triangle—with customers, employees and the company making up the sides. GiGi’s tries to keep these three essentials in balance. They believe that making a pleasant, friendly work environment for employees affects the staff’s treatment of customers. The Number One rule is “to take care of customers,” and it shows in the relaxed atmosphere and in the way they are becoming friendly with the neighborhood folk. They even deliver to the doctors, nurses and staff of Children’s Memorial. One enthusiastic nurse orders a caramel chai latte every single day.
Customers will regularly find the owners mixing drinks and cleaning tables alongside the staff. “What you fill the cup with you get out of it,” said Kahlisah. “We fill our employees with confidence, pleasant feelings, coaching, mentoring—and we listen to their concerns. We encourage them to have fun.”
GiGi’s is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Its locations are 2360 N. Lincoln Ave., a short walk from the Fullerton/Lincoln Avenue intersection, and downtown at 5 E. Jackson St. For more information, please call (773) 528-6600 or fax (773) 528-6620.
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