GOLD COAST — If you have to brave the impending blizzard and venture downtown Friday, then you definitely deserve a sweet reward.
The Hilton hotel chain is giving away up to 700 free "hot chocolate" cupcakes as well as drinking chocolate — that's the really rich stuff — between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, courtesy of the Sweet Ride food truck.
It will be parked at the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Ohio Street in the hopes of snagging workers and shoppers facing the Magnificent Mile madness.
The giveaway marks the launch of "Chillcation," a Hilton initiative promoting Chicago as a vacation destination during the potentially brutal winter months.
To encourage winter travel to the Windy City, hotels like the Waldorf, the Drake, the Conrad and Palmer House Hilton are adding in-room treats like hot chocolate and spa services to their menus, a Hilton spokeswoman said.
"The whole point is to promote awareness of how beautiful Chicago is in the winter, and to encourage [people] to come here even when it's cold," she said.
