#Lakeview shared kitchen offers wares for sale too - Chicago Tribune

The Spanish Square, aiming to be a one-stop destination for Spanish food, wine and culture, will open later this summer in Lakeview.

The Spanish Square, aiming to be a one-stop destination for Spanish food, wine and culture, will open later this summer in Lakeview. ( Phil Vettel )

The 5,000-square-foot space at 3109 N. Broadway, formerly home to House of Fine Chocolates, has a licensed commercial kitchen available for rent to people in the food business like Marks, be they restaurateurs, farmers market vendors, bakers, canners or caterers. What's more, Lakeview Kitchen Market has a retail space where those renting the kitchen facilities can sell their wares to nearby residents.

These are local products created by local small businesses. Many clients are using local ingredients from local providers,'' said Wendy Grahn, who co-owns the venture with her daughter, Maggie O'Brien. A customer will come in and buy three different things, and I'll tell them they just bought from three different vendors.

There are other commercial kitchens one can rent in the Chicago area. But the fact that Lakeview Kitchen Market has the retail space is what sold Lori Terry, chef/owner of Crave Cuisine, which specializes in weekly delivery of healthy meals, catering and in-home cooking classes.

The foot traffic is phenomenal, said Terry, who gave Grahn and O'Brien 18 meals to sell for her in the retail area. All were sold, she added, lauding the two women for really marketing the space and the products. Having a Lakeview location and exposure is also a way for her to build a roster of downtown Chicago clients. She's branched out into catering for business and weddings and is thinking of selling more retail too.

One of the things we sell a lot of is healthy granola bars,'' Terry said. We've been thinking of retailing our granola bars, and this is a great way to test-market them.

Lori Byars, owner of Cheshire Cat Confectionary, said she's been able to broaden her business as well at Lakeview Kitchen Market. Where she once focused mainly on cookies because they were easier to ship, she's now moving into cakes and cupcakes. Having the market's retail space handy means she can make items that are more perishable and difficult to ship. And, she can gauge how well new products do.