DOWNTOWN — Health-conscious Loop office workers have a new lunch option in the Pedway.
Freshii on Monday opened its long-planned restaurant in the Illinois Center, 233 N. Michigan Ave.
The chain opened in a long-vacant storefront that was last occupied by a Sbarro years ago. Freshii, which has more than a dozen stores in Chicago, will replace pizza and calzones with salads, wraps, smoothies and quinoa bowls.
"I tell people it's healthy fast food," David Grossman, who sold a franchise to the Illinois Center store's owner, told DNAinfo last month.
The new restaurant gave out free food Monday afternoon, drawing a long line for its debut.
Freshii was supposed to open last year in the Downtown food court, but Freshii ran into delays maneuvering around the storefront's old plumbing and other things discovered during construction, Grossman said.
Freshii fare ranges from $3.99 "grilled egg pockets" to an $8.99 Mediterranean quinoa bowl. Protein costs extra. Here's the menu:
