Master chef Charlie Trotter has finally found a location for his long-awaited retail food-wine takeout operation.
Trotter, who for at least 2 years has been scouring the neighborhood around his Lincoln Park restaurant, is looking at a July or August opening for Trotter’s To Go–that’s the working name–on Fullerton Avenue across from the Lakeshore Athletic Club.
That’s 1 miles or so from his prominent restaurant at 816 W. Armitage Ave., one of the world’s most showcased dining establishments.
Trotter’s To Go will occupy 3,000 square feet in a strip mall on Fullerton between Southport and Wayne Avenues. Other retailers in the same mall include a Photo Pro and Mailboxes Etc.
Trotter himself would have preferred a location across the street from his trendy and pricey restaurant, but he couldn’t swing a deal for space at 815 W. Armitage.
The initial plans call for a small stand-up counter in the new takeout operation, which will feature spit-roasted fowl and meats, a variety of salads, wines and baked goods, along with products he has sold through various retail channels.
His 100-seat restaurant–13 years old in August–is generating annual volume of $5 million to $10 million, according to an estimate by this column.
Trotter is tight-lipped on figures, but his new venture is definitely conceived as a profit center, much like his cookbooks and other pursuits.
In recent years, as much as 50 percent of his clientele has come from outside the Chicago area. But his new takeout operation is primarily intended for locals.
With all this frenzied activity, Brand Trotter–like Brand Oprah and Brand Martha–may be a candidate for a public stock offering someday. After all, he’s only 41 and bent on conquering new worlds.
In any case, we applaud Charlie’s championing the cause of Chicago.
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“There’s nothing better than outdoing New York, whether it’s in sports or in dining,” he said Thursday.
He has definitely done it in dining.
Kellogg flies with American: One-upmanship in the cold cereal wars can mean going airborne, as is the case in a new Kellogg-American Airlines promotion, in which back panels of 10 Kellogg cereal brands will include a 100-mile AAdvantage miles certificate. About 70 million boxes of such cereals as Corn Flakes and Complete, just to mention a couple, will bear that certificate. This Kellogg promotion will run through December. You must be one of the 36 million AAdvantage members to benefit from this promotion. Wonder how many consumers will be rifling through the boxes on shelves to find the certificates? This is all intended to boost sales at Kellogg, battling General Mills for leadership in the $7.5 billion cold cereal market.
Separately, American Airlines picked Don Coleman Advertising in Southfield, Mich., as agency of record for the African-American market in the United States, including marketing communications, advertising, media-buying, PR and special promotions. A spokesman for the Ft. Worth-based carrier said the budget is “substantial,” and in the “multimillion-dollar” range. Coleman, $150 million in annual billing, is 49 percent owned by True North Communications. True North also is the parent of Temerlin McClain in Dallas, which has the carrier’s domestic ad account.
Extendedcare for Reilly: Northbrook-based Extendedcare.com, a health-care-focused Internet site involving hospitals and consumers, picked Tom Reilly Advertising in Evanston. Rich Brayer, VP of marketing for extendedcare, said the initial ad expenditure is about $1 million. Radio spots have already appeared in the Chicago market. Print may follow and Brayer said Extendedcare is looking at expanding the ad campaign to the St. Louis, Philadelphia and Boston markets.
On the move: Debbie Hall to SalonSavvy.com, a Chicago-based Internet start-up, as VP-business development . . . Gunnar Branson to Heller Financial as senior VP, director of marketing, succeeding Stephen P. Ban, who became chief marketing officer of TheBizBank.com in Downers Grove.
Strictly Personal: Birthday greetings Friday to Realtor Kurt Wittenberg, 41; Abe Berish, 100 (he’s being feted tonight at Carmichael’s restaurant by son Barry, former Jim Beam Brands CEO; four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren; and friends); Virginia Shirley, 64 (SMY); Joe Gurgone, 62; Moshe Weizmann, 48; Dulcie Gilmore, 49; and Holli Levine, 42. On Saturday to lobbyist Aldo DeAngelis, 69; Julia Countryman, 30, and Tim O’Malley, 34 (Where magazine). On Sunday to Peter C. Ritsos, 58; and Paul Brusatori, 35.