RIVER NORTH — Marshall's Landing, a trendy new restaurant/lounge from DMK Restaurants, has arrived in the Merchandise Mart. But it's not just for working stiffs.
The lounge will make its debut Friday in the colossal Art Deco office building built by Marshall Field. Occupying the site of a shuttered radio station, Marshall's Landing sits atop the Mart's "Grand Stair" off the lobby and offers great views of the Chicago River.
"I view all these [restaurants] as problem solving," said David Morton, who owns DMK along with chef Michael Kornick. "The problem we're trying to solve here is representing the building while keeping our DNA."
Two guests taking in the view Thursday. [All photos by DNAinfo/David Matthews]
The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., not only to people who work in the Mart but those who stop by, too. Marshall's Landing includes a coffee bar, a lounge with plush furniture, a boozier bar as well as ample booths and tables by big windows. One room in the lounge can be reserved for private events.
Instead of full service, Marshall's Landing features "call pods" with buttons customers can push to summon a server or get their check. The idea behind this is to leave guests conducting business meetings or quiet rendezvous undisturbed, Morton said.
The restaurant's decor is by New York-based A+I Architecture, which has spent four years making the Mart a more congenial place to work as it transitions from a retailers' showcase to a tech hub city officials are counting on to drive Chicago's economy.
"We thought about how people could use this as an extension of their workplace," said Ashley Bryan of A+I.
Marshall's Landing is the latest restaurant from DMK, which owns DMK Burger Bar and Fish Bar in Lakeview as well as Ada Street in Noble Square, among other eateries.
The menu features a full bar with craft cocktails and highlights including crispy calamari ($9), forest mushroom bruschetta ($12) and Kellogg Corn Flake fried chicken ($8).
Built by Marshall Field & Co. in 1930, the Mart was meant as a palatial showcase for furniture wholesalers and other retailers. The 4 million-square-foot fortress takes up an entire city block and at one time was the largest building in the world.
With much of retail moving online, the Mart began shifting in recent years to a hub for tech startups and is also home to 1871, the city's best known tech incubator.
Ally Crain has worked in the Mart for about three years, and admits then she just "passed through" the building as she went elsewhere for lunch or after-hours drinks. Now, she and her coworkers say they might stick around the Mart after checking out its new restaurant.
"It's definitely a cool place," said her coworker, Katie Stallone.
Click the slideshow above or scroll down below for more looks at Marshall's Landing:
Marshalls Landing All Day Menu by Dave Matthews on Scribd
Marshalls Landing Breakfast Menu by Dave Matthews on Scribd
Marshalls Landing Coffee Bar Menu by Dave Matthews on Scribd
Marshalls Landing Drink Menu by Dave Matthews on Scribd
