🍽 ON THE PLATE
Lolo Y Lola is coming to the Sheffield/Lincoln corner. Bonhomme Group — the Spain-and-Chicago hospitality outfit behind Bambola, Kashmir, and Good Funk in the West Loop, plus Vela in River North — filed a liquor license for 2576-2580 N. Lincoln Ave., right at the Sheffield/Lincoln intersection across from Jonquil Park and a few doors from Prost!. The name and the group's Spanish roots point toward a Spanish or Latin American concept, with an outdoor patio planned. No menu or opening date yet — Bonhomme hasn't commented beyond the filing.
Guillotine Bakery finally has an opening date — and it's next week. The French bakery that's been on the watch list since Issue 4 opens at 9 on June 17 at 1711 W. Chicago Ave., the former Rhona Hoffman gallery space in West Town. Founders Vincent Didry, Vince Le Bec, and Alizé Bikard are importing French flour and butter for baguettes, sourdough, croissants, and kouign-amanns, with an open-kitchen setup that puts the bakers on display. The hype is real — a one-day pop-up at Mindy's Bakery earlier this year reportedly sold 700+ pastries in a few hours.
Christophe's Fine Foods is bringing a long-overdue gourmet grocer to Clark Street. A chef-driven prepared foods shop and high-end grocery — the kind of thing Chicago has lacked since Fox & Obel and Mitchell Cobey closed — is opening this summer at 2264 N. Clark St. in Lincoln Park. The concept pairs a rotating menu of 40-50 chef-prepared dishes with a curated selection of pantry staples and wines; per their own framing, "this is not a restaurant" but "a precision food production operation with a retail floor." No firm date beyond "summer 2026."
📅 MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Wells Street Art Festival — this weekend, June 13-14, Old Town. The 51st annual edition transforms Wells Street between North Avenue and Division into an open-air gallery with 125+ juried artists working in painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, jewelry, photography, and more. Saturday 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-8pm. Live music on two stages — Saturday's headliners include School of Rock and 16 Candles at the North Ave. main stage; Sunday closes with a Rod Tuffcurls Taylor Swift tribute set. Food and drink from Old Town restaurants throughout. Proceeds benefit the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association. wellsstreetartfest.us
🏗 PERMIT DESK
Foundry Park - The Community Development Commission approved $201.6 million in TIF funding on June 9 for infrastructure and parkland at the former Lincoln Yards site — first flagged as a major watch back in Issue 3. The $3 billion JDL Development / Kayne Anderson project on the western edge of Lincoln Park will use the funds for roadwork, parks, riverfront improvements, and a 606 extension. Developer Ron Letchinger said he hopes to break ground on Phase One "before the end of October," with full buildout running through 2034. Still needs final City Council sign-off on the redevelopment agreement.
QUICK HITS
T.J. Maxx's second location is coming. The 26,000-square-foot store at 939 W. North Ave. (North/Sheffield, the old Dom's/Fresh Market building) signed its lease back in January with a Q3 2026 target — could open as soon as next month.
Steppenwolf's "Catch As Catch Can" is running now through July 12 at 1650 N. Halsted.
See you next Friday — The 60614