Eataly Wants to Expand to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Brazil

By Clarissa Wei Tue., Sep. 4 2012 at 3:00 PM

Categories: Edible News

Robert Sietsema

Eataly turned two this past Friday, and it's already looking westward. The 58,000-square-foot store has plans for expansion in Chicago, Los Angeles, and São Paulo, Brazil.

"We are narrowing our search for a 60,000- or 70,000-square-foot space in the retail heart of Chicago," co-owner Joe Bastianich told the Times. He also indicated that the Chicago location might have more restaurants than the New York store.

The store has already exceeded revenue projections and accounts for nearly a third of the $250 million in annual revenues of the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, the company that owns the food market.

Eataly's gross revenues for its first calendar year were $70 million, and projections for the second year stand at $85 million, Bastianich and co-owner Mario Batali told The New York Times.

The market is celebrating its anniversary with a four-tier chocolate cake on Friday and will be having a one- to eight-dollar product sale that ends September 9.

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