The Budlong Is Bringing A New Food Hall To Uptown Next Year

By Stephen Gossett in Food on Aug 8, 2017 7:33PM

The Budlong / Facebook

We've made no secret of our affinity for The Budlong's dangerously tasty hot chicken, so we're alway happy to see the restaurant expand its fried-bird footprint. But when it arrives in Uptown next year, it'll anchor a very promising larger concept, too.

Along with The Budlong, restaurateur Jared Leonard will bring his BBQ Supply Co. plus a new spot, called Norm's Deli, all under one roof, at 1325 W. Wilson Ave. Dubbed Beacon St. Market, the spot will also feature an outdoor dining patio and a weekend local market.

This will be Leonard's fifth Budlong location and BBQ Co.'s second. As for Norm's, expect to see "fresh deli sandwiches, salads, house charcuterie and cheese plates," according to Beacon St.'s website. Leonard told the Tribune that it'll serve up smoked- and cured-on-site meats.

The Heritage Outpost coffeeshop (a non-Leonard venture) is also already located at the site.

An announcement on Monday invoked old-style European markets and "the renaissance of modern market halls." So feel free to go ahead and round it up to "food hall" status.

Leonard envisions the "hall" to double as something of creatives' workspace/third-space meeting spot, he told Eater. However it materializes, it sounds like a win for Uptown food options and the latest in a long trend of food-hall developments.