Frangos Coming Back To Town

By Scott Smith in News on Apr 28, 2006 9:11PM

We fought the good fight against the Marshall Field’s name change. While it might seem to have been a fruitless battle, the outcry from many Chicagoans may be the motivation behind the latest move by Field’s’ new parent company to being some of the celebrated store’s history back to Chicago.

After dining with Da Mare on Wednesday night (that we’re sure was very friendly and didn’t resemble that one scene from The Untouchables where Capone walks around the table with the baseball bat at all), Federated CEO Terry Lundgren announced yesterday that the company will try and bring the production of Frango mints back to Chicago from Dunmore, Pa. Production moved to PA in 1999 after Dayton-Hudson purchased the Marshall Field’s stores.

Da Mare even went so far as to promise to build a new facility somewhere on the West Side to ensure the sweet, choclatey goodness says “Made in Chicago” on the package.

Crain’s reports that other planned changes include leasing space on the lower level to a fresh food market to provide Loop residents with easy access to rutabagas. Two designer boutiques will also be added: the 28 Shop will be refurbished, while a new “young designer” shop will feature Chicago fashion mavens. Federated already announced plans to reacquire the old Norman Rockwell painting that depicts the famous Field’s clock.

Not everything’s like the old days though. The mockups of the new Macy’s signage breaks our hearts a little. Mostly because it’s all black. Like death. The death of our little-kid memories of getting packed up in the station wagon and carted downtown to see the Christmas windows. And black like the color of Terry Lundgren’s cold, cold heart. And soul. And spleen.

Ahem. Sorry, got a little nuts there for a second.

Change is inevitable. While we're sad to see the old signage go, we're happy that Federated understands that Chicagoans expect a financial investment in the store's future that matches the emotional investment they've had in the place all these years.