Vienna Beef is returning to former factory
CHICAGO — A building that featured a popular store and cafe for one of the best-known producers of hot dogs in the country is being renovated and put back into use.
Vienna Beef announced plans to redevelop a former company factory located at 2501 N. Damen Ave. in Chicago as they’ll put $20 million into the space to add a variety of new amenities to the space.
Back by popular demand, however, is the Vienna Beef Factory Store and Cafe, which closed in 2020. It will be reopened with the same products as before along with a number of menu options featuring company products.
This restaurant will feature memorabilia spanning the company’s 130-year history in Chicago. It’s slated to open in the spring of 2024 with the factory store located in Bridgeport at 3847 S. Morgan St. still remaining open.
Courtesy: Vienna Beef
Courtesy: Vienna Beef
Courtesy: Vienna Beef
At the same time, Vienna Beef will be adding an outdoor plaza that will feature over 80 trees and hundreds of plants. The development will also have a few other retailers including a “big box” store that will be announced by the company at a later date.
There will also be new offices for 50 Vienna Beef employees on the second floor and in a few retail areas. Those employees who work at buildings in Fulton Market and Bridgeport will start working at the building on Damen by the end of the year.
“Vienna Beef has long imagined what possibilities exist at our former factory location, where Vienna was in operation since the early 1970s. We couldn’t be more excited to see Vienna Beef Plaza come to life,” said senior vice president at Vienna Beef Tom McGlade in a statement. “Vienna Beef is a Chicago company in its heart and at its core, and it only makes sense that there is a place in the city for enthusiasts to come and experience everything Vienna Beef— and Chicago— has to offer through excellent food, fun memorabilia and a thriving retail experience.”
Source: WGN TV Chicago
