The story begins, like so many today, with a social media post. Confusion, as is sometimes the case, soon followed. Still, this story may have a happy ending.
On Friday, July 5, Revival Food Hall announced on Instagram that it would be closing at the end of the month, citing an inability to reach “better business terms from our landlord [CBRE]” as the cause. At the time, it was assumed the food hall and its 14 vendors would be shutting down permanently. As it turns out, the venue will remain open but will be under new management, Atlanta-based STHRN Hospitality, with a new name to come.
When it opened in 2016, Revival was a first of its kind for the city and featured 15 local food vendors. Local also applied to much of the space’s fixtures, metalwork, and furniture, which was crafted by Dock 6 Collective, a group of independent Chicago artisans.
Located in the lobby of The National, a 1905 Daniel Burnham-designed building, Revival Hall was the brainchild of Bruce Finkelman and Craig Golden. The duo and their 16” on Center company are also responsible for Thalia Hall, Empty Bottle, Longman & Eagle, and The Promontory among others. Since then, they’ve grown their hospitality group to include Salt Shed, From Here On (another food hall inside the Old Post Office), and Manhattan’s Olly Olly, the last two are food halls as well.
“It was a labor of love and when we started eight years ago, we had no idea what we were doing,” says Finkelman of Revival Hall’s early days. “We had an understanding of our mission of treating the Loop like a neighborhood like nobody else had done, and also being able to showcase some of the great local culinary talent that we had in Chicago.”
With the changing economic environment, Revival had been in discussions with their landlord to figure out a way to continue and operate for the long term, says Finkelman. “It was communicated to us recently that that was not going to be a possibility and we didn’t have a choice but to move on.”
Enter STHRN, a consulting and management company that formed in 2020 — a partnership with George Banks of real estate consulting firm Revel, Elizabeth Feichter (Atlanta Food and Wine Festival), and Kelly Campbell of culinary consulting business Southern Culinary and Creative (Gather ‘round, Epicurean Atlanta hotel). They’ve been behind a few Atlanta restaurants, and food halls in Atlanta, Cincinnati, and LA.
For Ravi Nagubadi, owner and founder of Art of Dosa, getting a spot in Revival was a dream come true. “When I first came to Revival in 2016, and I was dreaming about setting up a business of my own, I said to myself, this is the place to be,” he says, citing the vibe, the food stalls curated, and the crowds.
Art of Dosa came on board the day after Christmas 2019. While it’s been “a struggle,” he says, the pandemic notwithstanding, in the last few months Nagubadi has seen an improvement in business. So he was surprised when he got a call from Tim Wickes, manager of Revival, giving him the heads up about the transition.
“I don’t even want to venture into the specifics of it,” says Nagubadi, adding that the words “court decision” were in the letter they were given. “It’s one of these things where you’re the kids and your parents made it seem like everything was okay, but all of a sudden they told you they’re getting divorced.”
While Nagubadi has nothing but praise for Revival Hall — “It was the model for all food halls in the country and was a revelation when it came out and still is, so kudos and credit to them,” he says — he’s hopeful for the future. “As a business owner, my number one thing has to be do whatever I have to do to continue the business,” he says. “I’m excited for what that new chapter’s going to bring.”
Matt Sussman of Danke, one of two of the original Revival vendors still there, has also seen an increase in business of late. “I don’t think it’s ever been busier than it is now,” he says, especially during peak times, Tuesday through Thursday during lunch.
Sussman (who also owns two Logan Square restaurants — Table, Donkey & Stick and the new Bar Parisette) also expressed confidence about the future of Revival after meeting in person with representatives from STHRN. “While no one was very forthcoming about what happened — and I don’t know if and when that information would be public — I expect things will continue in a way that is conducive to us operating there as we always have.”
STHRN is no stranger to running food halls. “Collectively, we saw an opportunity to create a business that didn’t exist, which is running bars, restaurants, and cafes in food halls on behalf of building owners,” says Banks, one of the company’s founders.
“We are excited to get involved with an iconic asset that’s been a real stalwart for the Loop community for years now,” says another founder, Campbell, adding that a different name should be the only difference post-July 31 when STHRN takes over. “To the patron who comes in one day, it will look the same the next.”
For their part, the Revival Hall folks have reached out to the building to offer their help in the transition.
“The most important thing is that whoever the new folks are in there, that they really take care of these great businesses and the people who want to stay,” says Finkelman. “While we’re sad to see it go, we hope that whatever happens that they honor what we’ve tried to bring there.”
And this may not be the end for Revival Hall. Says Finkelman, “We have so many projects on the docket right now that who’s to say that Revival can’t find its way to another building or another area.”
Meanwhile, vendors like Danke and Art of Dosa are trying to battle misconceptions. A group of vendors collaborated on a Thursday, July 11 Instagram post hoping to get the word out that their businesses aren’t disappearing. Despite 16” on Center’s announcement that they’re not closing their doors and that they’ll be around when the new operators take over: “Let’s clear this up…WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. Same Space. Same Restaurants. Same Hours. The Space is simply changing management groups.”
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