CHICAGO (July 2005) – The Chopping Block, Chicago's acclaimed cooking school and specialty retail store, announces plans to move its original Webster Avenue location into Chicago’s LuxeHome™ family of boutiques at The Merchandise Mart, Suite 107. An expansive 8,000-square-foot space, The Chopping Block Merchandise Mart is designed to accommodate Chicago’s growing interest in private cooking events. Shelley Young, chef/owner of The Chopping Block, will be hosting her final classes at the 1324 W. Webster location in July; resuming 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 Ms. Young received the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Set to open in late summer 2005, The Chopping Block Merchandise Mart will continue to feature the creative and intimate learning experiences that have made the school Chicago’s favorite. 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 Shelley. “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.”
The new location, within The Mart’s LuxeHome™ boutiques on the first floor, is slated to feature a wine school, offering an expanded schedule of wine classes and a highly selective list of lovely wines available for purchase. The ethnic ingredients, professional baking supplies and quality cookware that customers have come to expect from The Chopping Block will also be available in the large retail space.
Mark Falanga, vice president, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI), said, “For the past few years, The Merchandise Mart has become a hub for exciting, creative events, and adding The Chopping Block to our roster brings a new element of attraction with its fantastic culinary programs. We are very happy to welcome them and look forward to the variety of special events ahead.”
Media Inquiries Only:
Jackie Paulsen
Director of Public Relations
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
Phone: 312.527.7555
E-mail: jpaulsen@mmart.com
Natalie Campbell
Public Relations Associate
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc.
Phone: 312.527.7790
E-mail: ncampbell@mmart.com
Located at 4747 N. Lincoln Avenue and, shortly, in suite 107 at The Merchandise Mart, at the corner of Kinzie and Wells, The Chopping Block (773.472.6700) is a cooking school and culinary store for the home cook. The Chopping Block’s specialty retail store is open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cooking classes are held daily. Class schedules are available at the store, posted on the Web site (www.thechoppingblock.net) or can be obtained by calling The Chopping Block at 773.472.6700. Individual classes are priced at $50 each, and packages of six or more classes are offered at a ten percent discount. Totally Hands-On classes are $75 per person. As class size is limited, advanced reservations are required. All classes include open discussions on the featured foods and utensils; recipes; and post-class sampling. Cooking students of The Chopping Block receive special discounts for most retail items.
LuxeHome™ is the world’s largest collection of luxury boutiques for home building and renovation.
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. (MMPI) is a trade show and property management firm, specializing in managing buildings devoted to wholesale showrooms and commercial office space. MMPI produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year.
MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart, 350 W. Mart Center and 33 North Dearborn in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point, N.C.; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center and Washington Office Center in Washington, D.C.
Vornado Realty Trust, owner of MMPI, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO.