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Freshii Opening Illinois Center Restaurant Soon

By David Matthews | January 18, 2017 3:09pm
 A peek inside the new Freshii opening soon in the Illinois Center, 233 N. Michigan Ave.
A peek inside the new Freshii opening soon in the Illinois Center, 233 N. Michigan Ave.
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DNAinfo/David Matthews

THE LOOP — Health-conscious lunch spot Freshii says it plans to open its long-awaited restaurant in the Illinois Center by the end of the month. 

And when they do, there will be free food. 

The chain known for salads and wraps eyes a Jan. 31 grand opening at 233 N. Michigan Ave., and a preview event with free food the day before, said David Grossman, who sold a franchise to the store's owner. 

Freshii will occupy a long-vacant storefront in the Illinois Center that was last occupied by a Sbarro years ago. Freshii, which has more than a dozen stores in Chicago, will substitute pizza and calzones with salads, wraps, smoothies and quinoa bowls.

"I tell people it's healthy fast food," Grossman said.

The store was originally scheduled to open last year, but Freshii ran into delays maneuvering around the storefront's old plumbing and other things discovered during construction, Grossman said. 

Freshii plans to give out free food to those who stop by during a mid-day preview event a day before its full-fledged public debut. 

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