Earlier this month, we found out that One Off Hospitality would be opening a restaurant in Hotel Zachary, the expansive new boutique hotel adjacent to Wrigley Field that is set to open in 2018. Today, the Chicago Tribune revealed that One Off's latest project won't be an entirely new property—instead, Wrigleyville will be getting a second outpost of Big Star.
This isn't Big Star's first expansion outside of it original (and eternally popular) location in Wicker Park. Last year, Big Star began serving its tacos at a stand located on the 100 level of the United Center, joining other Chicago restaurants such as Publican Quality Meats, Leghorn Chicken and Lillie's Q.
One Off Hospitality has shown a willingness to expand its existing concepts over the past year, opening the limited-menu Publican Tavern at O'Hare Airport and the forthcoming Publican Anker in Wicker Park.
The Big Star in Wrigleyville will take over a two-floor, 8,000-square-foot space, offering tacos and other Mexican street food–inspired dishes. According to the Tribune, the name of the restaurant is not finalized, but it will likely be a variation of the Big Star brand, in the same way that the Wicker Park branch of Publican incorporates elements of the original Fulton Market restaurant.
Only time will tell if Big Star's patio, whiskey-centric menu and take-out window will be present at the Wrigleyville location. In the meantime, try not to think about how long the lines will be when the second Big Star location finally opens its doors in 2018.
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