High quality on-site dining has become a popular amenity craved by customers across The Chicago Collection. And because Irvine Company makes it a priority to work with partners that share their holistic customer-centric approach, The Chicago Collection has teamed up with Eurest, the globally-recognized dining service provider, seeks to “connect with people. inspire through food. create solutions. live our promise.”
Currently, 71 S Wacker’s newest dining and lounge area, The Exchange, is in good hands with Eurest’s team, providing breakfast and lunch on-site. From Eurest’s perspective, the key to providing outstanding dining experiences in a building with a broad range in customers is truly understanding the diners themselves. This is one role that Eurest’s Marketing Manager, Katie Celcun, takes on. She explains, “I really enjoy helping our managers grasp the potential of their marketplaces through understanding their business, clients and guests.”
Katie emphasizes that customers’ voices are crucial to their programming. “We know that our customers at 71 S Wacker love their salad, made to order entree, clean simple food,” says Katie, and that they “need a space where they can take a true break from their work day and return refreshed.” With this knowledge, concepts like the Community Garden program, which utilizes local farmers to include chef-inspired composed salads, house made dressings and a self serve hot bar, come to fruition.
Since Chicago is such a culinary city, it would be an oversight if popular restaurants weren’t brought into the kitchen as pop-ups. By partnering with Foodworks, the Eurest team strategically vets local Chicago restaurants to bring the best ones into The Exchange. Already on the rotation, Chicago staples such as Manny’s, Aloha Poke and Olive Mediterranean Grill provide local Chicago flare and business back into the community.
While the customers come first, it wouldn’t be a delicious kitchen without the chefs having a little fun themselves. The chefs love experimenting and bringing new flavors and excitement to the kitchen. With Chef Matt Brown and his sous chef crafting innovative menus like the Peri Peri program, which features Portuguese and South African Flavors (Peri Peri sauce is made from garlic, red wine vinegar, and paprika), customers at 71 S Wacker can expect to have something new and flavorful each week.
High quality on-site dining pairs precisely with the vibrant workplace community that Irvine Company Chicago delivers. Knowing that each day there will be fresh, new options to choose from before starting the work day or during lunch adds to the worklife experience. With a combination of an attentive on-site team, innovative chefs and a pleasant dining environment, The Exchange buzzes with activity over the course of the workday.
