Almost 25 years ago, I opened The Chopping Block as a recreational cooking school and store in Lincoln Park, Chicago. There have been many evolutions of the business since then, from our expansion into Lincoln Square in 2003 and the move to the Merchandise Mart in 2005. For the past 17 years, you helped us build The Chopping Block at the Mart location into one of the busiest recreational cooking and entertainment schools in the country, as we hosted hundreds of private events and classes each month. We all have created fond memories at The Chopping Block at the Mart, but as of April 30, 2022, we will be closing that location.
The Chopping Block Lincoln Square will remain open for private events, classes and our popular virtual programming which was launched during the pandemic. We will be announcing more details on our growth plans for The Chopping Block in the near future. In the near term, we will be undergoing some remodeling and refreshing of our Lincoln Square facility, including, a remodel of the first floor and beautiful new brick pavers on our outdoor patio just in time for summer 2022 classes and private events.
Although our world has greatly changed due to the pandemic, it is not the main factor in our decision to close this location. Prior to the pandemic, the Merchandise Mart (owned by Vornado Trust) had completed a $40M remodel program to its common areas. Renovation elements included The Grand Stair at the south entrance, a modernized urban Food Hall, and a 5,000 square-foot River Drive Park along the riverfront. The next phase of The Merchandise Mart’s renovation will include a Grand staircase at the Kinzie and Wells entrance which will eliminate suite 107 where The Chopping Block is located.
We will be offering classes and events exclusively at The Chopping Block at the Mart in March and April of 2022! This will allow for our exciting remodel construction schedule at our Lincoln Square location while providing our customers with your, quite literally, last chance to experience The Chopping Block at the Mart - but far from your last chance to experience The Chopping Block.
If you have a gift card to The Chopping Block, you can use it toward a class at the Mart before the end of April, or use it whenever you like at our Lincoln Square location. Those gift cards are valid for both classes and retail at any location, and they do not expire.
If you have an account credit to The Chopping Block at the Mart, you can use it toward a class at the Mart before the end of April, or we will honor that credit at our Lincoln Square location. Those account credits are valid for classes only and have an expiration date of 12/31/22.
If you have an event booked at the Mart after April 2022 or you have an event credit with us, our events team will be reaching out to you directly to discuss options for your event. We look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve all of your event needs at Lincoln Square.
If you have questions, reach out to info@thechoppingblock.com. We will do our best to address all of your questions in a timely manner.
I sincerely thank you for supporting our business for the past 25 years. While it’s always sad to close a chapter, new opportunities always arise. I look forward to the next evolution of The Chopping Block as we continue to get you cooking!
Happy cooking,
Shelley Young
Founder
