A prominent Pleasant District business plans to reopen this month after a substantial overhaul.
Marion Street Cheese Market closed Jan. 1 and is undergoing renovations to open as Marion Street Market in the coming weeks, with what employees are calling an emphasis on the social, sensory dining experience.
“In general, across the board, pretty much everything is changing,” said Amanda Piskor, Marion Street Market’s general manager.
Grant Slauterbeck, taking over as majority owner, said his hospitality company, GCC Chicagoland, was brought on in a management capacity in February 2015. During the last four months, GCC Chicagoland negotiated the purchase of the business from Mary Jo Schuler, who started the business in 2004.
Slauterbeck wouldn’t disclose the purchase price and said there are many components to the deal. The Schulers remain involved in the business but no longer wanted to oversee day-to-day operations, Slauterbeck said.
“It’s a pretty exciting time,” he said. “What I really wanted to do was kind of show the evolution of it.”
When Schuler and her husband, Stephen, opened Marion Street Cheese Market, the market offered houseware items like fondue pots, knives and warming trays. Schuler said it became clear the community wasn’t interested in those items, and put more emphasis on chocolate, nuts, boutique spirits and more.
“We’ve learned that the restaurant side of the business is what our community taps into most often,” Schuler said.
A notable change: the business has dropped “cheese” from its name to better reflect what’s offered.
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“Cheese will always be part of what we provide, but it’s not the main attraction,” Schuler said.
The overhaul includes renovations large and small, from an upgraded kitchen ventilation system — “so nobody walks out of here smelling like a french fry anymore,” Slauterbeck said — to cosmetic changes.
When the business started, the bistro focused on putting out mostly cold and small dishes, Piskor said. As kitchen capabilities have grown, “unfortunately, some of the equipment just couldn’t keep up with us,” she said.
Thirty-two seats were added to the eatery, bringing the total to 122, Slauterbeck said, and a 12-person communal table emphasizes the social aspect of the renovations. Slauterbeck said they’re outfitting the space with brushed stainless steel and reclaimed wood, calling the new look “rustic industrial chic.”
“It’s completely transformed,” he said.
Slauterbeck said he’s been bringing menu prices down and wants to see diners return more frequently than they have been.
“I desperately want to take the pretension out of this restaurant,” he added.
While the selection in the market won’t look much different, Slauterbeck said, the space has been reconfigured to make better use of it. The selection of cheese and charcuterie remains the same, but the product will be contained to one refrigerated cooler rather than two, for example.
Slauterbeck said this was an important change, because the business isn’t trying to compete with large grocery chains, and the eatery is the main revenue generator. But Adrian Marquis, beverage director for GCC Chicagoland and Marion Street Market, noted the combination of market and eatery “offers people an opportunity they don’t have anywhere else.”
A tasting table in the market area will constantly offer samples of wine, beer, cheese and other items.
“It’s all about access,” Marquis said.
The market also will feature grab-and-go meals, with sandwiches and wraps for lunch and dishes like duck meatloaf or roasted chicken for dinner. Slauterbeck said they’ll suggest a wine to pair with these ready-to-eat dinners, for those who want what he called a more elevated dining experience at home.
“I think that’s really lacking in Oak Park,” Slauterbeck said.
Also in the market, a ledge looking out on the intersection of Marion Street and South Boulevard will offer six seats to have a glass of wine or an espresso and use the WiFi.
Slauterbeck said he wasn’t comfortable disclosing exactly how much was spent on the renovation, but said it was funded by a “mutual contribution upwards of close to $500,000 from existing and new investors.”
Schuler said Slauterbeck should be able to take the business more into the range of profitability with his focus on the eatery.
“You know, Oak Park is a very expensive place to run a business,” she said.
Schuler said she feels good about the goals that she and her husband achieved, as well as the opportunity for new ownership.
“I think [the community is] going to be excited about the fact that we care so much about this business that we are investing to make it even better than it was,” she said.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.